


Immortal Memories

by WouldbeWriter23



Series: Immortal Memories [1]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst, Temporary Character Death, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2018-09-19 18:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 83,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9455663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WouldbeWriter23/pseuds/WouldbeWriter23
Summary: A bonding experience between the Guardians leads to some questions about their youngest member.  Jack is less than forthcoming, and a haunted look in his eyes brings about concerns within the group.  So the Guardians seek more alternative sources of information, and in doing so learn about an amazing, gifted young boy who became the Spirit of Winter, and a Guardian.





	1. Chapter 1

She knew he was there.

She’d known from the moment his feet hit the ground. That was the thing about being connected to all nature; she was well aware of everything that went on in her realm. She was Mother Nature, after all.  If he really thought that she wouldn’t notice him, he was more dull than she originally thought.  Which was saying something.

Deciding to push down the annoyance, she went about her business, with the aspiration to ignore him. Let the brat wander around for a few hours, she thought with no small amount of pettiness.  With any luck, he’d get bored and leave before she had to deal with him.

Decision made, she let a blanket of peace fall over her as she drifted through the trees.  In all the world, she considered only the Amazon forest to be her true home. It was old, the oldest forest in the world, and that called to her. It was the only place that she felt completely calm and peaceful and it was—why wasn't the brat leaving?!

She gave a mental groan and accepted that he wasn’t going to go away on his own.

"Is there something I can help you with?" She called with a small glance over her shoulder. From the stuttering feet, he was not expecting her to notice him.   She rolled her eyes. Really. "The fact that you even think that you can sneak up on me is insulting," she informed, turning to face the man.

He matched her in height, however any similarities stopped there. He was pale and light where she was tanned and dark; bald with light eyes while she had a head of dark hair down to her waist with eyes of gold. He was round where she was lanky, dressed in lights silks and she in a dark gown. She crossed her arms and starred the man down, waiting.

"You seemed busy."

"I'm making time."

"I thought we could talk."

"We don't talk," she said with a snort. "You only come down off your rock when you need something. Now, let's try this again; what do you want?"

The Tsar Lunanoff, or as many knew him, the Man in the Moon, stopped short and then gave her a bashful look. He smiled and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"I suppose we should do something to remedy that," he offered. Nature only raised a brow, awaiting the response to the question. He sighed. So much for pleasantries.

"I wish for us to discuss Jack Frost's inclusion into the Guardians."

And just like that, any pleasant domineer that might have existed in the conversation vanished. The woman's face went blank and her eyes alit in anger.

"No," she said shortly, turning on her heels in dismissal of the conversation.

"Sera—"

"Oh no, we are not on first name basis right now."

"Pitch is rising again."

"Your problem, not mine," she informed, making a point of becoming very interested in a cluster of plant life.  And completely uninterested in anything the man had to say.

"They will need the help. He's more powerful than I've seen in years; he's able to walk in the light, corrupt dreams, he—'

"What part of 'it's not my problem', did you miss?!"

She whirled to face him, pretty face screwed up in anger. Her eye all but burned in rage, her teeth were barred in a snarl, and to be honest there was quite the resemblance to Pitch in that moment. But that was an observation that he very wisely kept to himself.

"I don't care what the shadow is up to. I made it very clear when you brought this war to my world that you were to LEAVE. ME. OUT OF IT!" They were nose to nose now, and there were heavy glares on both sides. "You are not dragging my little boy into your blood feud, understand?"

Point made and rage simmering down, she turned away. Firmly ignoring the Moon spirit, she focused her attention back to the forest vegetation. The man stared at her back, and then took a calming breath before he snapped something that he’d regret.  Working with the spirit of nature was always so aggravating, and it was hard to keep his temper.

"Seraphina," the woman's shoulders stiffened at her name and the Tsar pushed on before she could respond, "the boy is a Guardian. I've known that since I helped you create him."

"I knew it. I knew you had an agenda there." She turned back, once again fuming in anger.

"Yes, it's who he is. We both know it."

"Don't pretend to know anything about him. You've never taken the time to know anything about him. At least I've tried to be a part of his life!"

When Lunanoff dropped his head, Sera continued on.

"Do you have any idea what you've put him through?  He’s spent the past three centuries thinking that there’s something wrong with him because of you.” No matter how hard she tried to convince him otherwise.  “He thinks that you hate him, all because you couldn't bother to say more than two words to him.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to see him like that? Do you?"

"It pains me as much as you.  You know why I couldn’t talk to him, Sera.  It hurt that I couldn’t have that contact with him; he's mine as much as he is yours."

"If you really cared about him, you wouldn’t be dragging him into the middle of a war."  Some of the anger left her expression, and concern raced to fill the void.

"He'll be well protected," The Moon spirit said.

The woman snorted and rolled her eyes with bitter amusement.

"Your Guardians have had three hundred years to protect him. And they have failed, _epically_."

"You've known some of them your entire life.  Shouldn’t that warrant a little faith?"

"Not where my boy’s concerned.  They don’t exactly have the best track record of keeping the kids around them safe.”

Lunanoff sighed.  “What happened with Katherine and Nightlight—“

“Is the only thing I really care about when you’re trying to put my son in the same position.”

"Our son.” He snapped.  “Sera, do you really think that,” he paused, and took a breath. “Do you really think I would do this is I thought he would be in any real danger?” 

Sera gave him a look that said she really did think that.  He swallowed back more anger.

“I may not have been in his life, but I’ve been watching over him.  I’ve seen how he's been hurting, even with all you do for him.  You can only give him so much, and he needs more." Sera shook, her lip trembled. Seeing the weakness, he pushed on. "The Guardians will give him what he needs; the attention, Believers, his memories. He needs this."

There was a moment of tense silence, and then Sera let out an angry shriek. She turned away sharply to strike a tree and the earth around her trembled with her rage and sorrow.

"I hate you! I hate you so much, I hate you! Why do you have to be here?" She demanded. "You ruin everything.  Why do you always have to come and destroy anything good I have?"

The Moon stood quietly while she reigned in her emotions, watched her trembling shoulders as she turned away. He sighed once more, and accepted defeat for the moment. There was still time before Pitch made his move, still time to convince her. But for now, this discussion was over.

"I don't understand why you continue to interact with me if you feel as such. You came to me when you wanted to make Jackson a spirit, and I do not understand why you would do so with such animosity toward me.

"All I ask is that you think it over,” he continued when she didn’t respond.  “And think of Jack."

She only continued to stare ahead, he sighed once more and prepared to leave. She spoke before he could depart.

"There's only six of us."

He came to a stop, looking over at her. She still hadn't turned.

"That's all that remains, all that's left of our way of life, of where we came from. I can't, can't really bring myself to cut all contact with any of you."

He moved forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He wanted to say something, but there were no words that he could think to offer.  He could never understand her pain in its entirety; the Tsar had been only a babe when the Golden Age came crashing down.  He had no memory of any life other than the one on the moon. So he stayed a silent presence by her side, and hoped it was enough.

Sera put her hand over his after a moment, and then turned to face him.  "I pity you, sometimes.  I have memories of the past.  It’s painful, but at least it’s something.  I can't imagine what it's like to know nothing."

"It's difficult," he admitted. "I hear stories about the worlds my parents ruled, the majesty and beauty, but that's all they are. Stories." He met her gaze with a searching one of his own, smiling shyly.

"Will you tell me?" He requested and her eye brows shot up in surprise that had him laughing. "I have a feeling the stories are rather idealized," he explained and she laughed as well with a nod of agreement.

"I'm starting to remember why I put up with you." She motioned for the man to follow, summoning a tangle of vines to serve of sitting.

"Come, sit. I will tell you of where we came from. And we will _discuss,"_ she sent him a look to make sure he understood the emphasis _,_ “Jack's inclusion to your little club."

The Tsar followed eagerly, excited for both conversations, and Sera spun back to face him.  His steps stuttered to a halt.  Her eyes blazed once more, drawing his undivided attention.

"Just remember, if anything happens to my child because of whatever hair-brained scheme you've got brewing, I will rain fiery hell upon you in retribution," she promised darkly. And the man believed her fully. He nodded his comprehension and like flipped switch, her face went from terrifying to pleasant.

"Good, now, let us speak."

The man shook his head, and snorted fondly. There was never a dull moment when speaking to Mother Nature.


	2. Chapter 2

_1712_

Jack was sitting curled up against a tree just next to his lake with his knees pressed to his chest. He was afraid, confused, shaken. It had been three days since he'd woken from his lake, and in those three days, he’d tried over and over to get someone to see him.  The result had been the same every time.

He'd go to the town, or any other near-by settlement, and try to get the attention of the people mulling around.  And every time, day or night, they walked straight through him. Like he wasn't even there.

It not only hurt physically, but also utterly terrified him. Why, _how_ could they just walk through him like that, like he wasn't even there? None of the other people he’d seen in the village were every walked through.  What was wrong with him? Did he do something, something to deserve getting walked though? Why was this happening?

He glanced up at the moon, hoping for some kind of comfort, or explanation, from the voice that greeted him when he'd awoken from the lake. And he was greeted with a whole lot of nothing. Just like every other night.

Jack sighed and just pulled his knees tighter against his chest, clinging to his staff like it was a teddy bear.

"Oh, my dear, sweet boy."

Jack's head jerked up at the voice.  He glanced around, desperately.  There was no sign of anyone else in the forest.

‘Great, now I’m hearing voices,’ he though gloomily.  He didn’t know much of anything about his life, but he was pretty sure that hearing voices that weren’t there wasn’t a good sign.  He dropped his head back to his knees, more miserable than ever now that the possibility of contact was ripped away.

His head shot right back up when he felt a hand, gentle and soft and warm, settle on his shoulder.

His lip started to trembled as he met the eyes of a very real person that crouched next to him. Her golden eyes shined with concern as she looked him over with a small frown.

When she ran a gentle hand through his hair, he all but threw himself into her arms, and began weeping into her chest. A small voice in the back of his head told him that clinging to a stranger was a bad idea and that, he wasn't supposed to trust strangers, but he was too thrilled with the fact that someone could see him to care very much.

The woman didn’t seem to mind much, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly. She rocked and shushed him, whispering comforts in his ears, and Jack melted into the touch.

"It's all right, baby. It's okay. I'm so sorry, I didn't think you would wake so soon. I would have been here sooner," she'd whispered.

Jack blinked rapidly in confusion. He pushed out of the hug, trying to blink away the tears as he met the woman’s gaze.

"Why don't they see me? What's wrong with me?"

"No, no," she'd hushed, "nothing is wrong with you."

"Then why can't they see me?" He wailed.

"They don't believe in you, my dear. Humans need to believe in order to see spirits," she'd explained, voice soft and eyes trained on his face, filled with warmth and comfort.

"Spirits?" He'd asked, blinking up at the woman.

"That's what we are." 

She kept a hand on his shoulder and kept her posture open, inviting him for another embrace if he wanted, and she explained.  What he was, what he was meant to do as the spirit of Winter.  All of the questions he’d piled up over the last few days.

"How do you know all of this?” He asked when the explanation finished.

"I made you, dear."

"I thought the Moon did," Jack protested.

"Well, he helped too. A little," the woman conceded, giving an annoyed eye roll.  “I’m sorry you’ve been alone for so long.  I wanted to be here when you woke up, but there was a little miscommunication,” she sent a glare up to the moon.

Jack turned his own gaze up to the moon, and his bottom lip began to tremble with suppressed tears.  "Why won't he talk to me? Did I do something?"

"No, no baby.  You did nothing wrong," she reassured, placing a kiss on his forehead.

Jack reigned in the tears, and gradually inched away from the woman as his inner voice became more insistent about strangers and the importance of keeping your distance from them.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Seraphina.  I am Mother Nature," she said. "Or, if you like, mom?"  She looked bashful as she asked, and the smile she directed at him took her from ‘striking’, to ‘beautiful’. 

He thought it over.  He didn't know anything about her, other than what she told him.  Some instinct told him that should make him hesitant to trust her.  But on the other hand, she was the first person to see him, talk to him.  And a stronger instinct told him that he needed her.

The way she looked at him, concerned and caring and full of love, made him feel safe. He'd seen that kind of love over the last few days: the pure, unconditional love of a mother. And now, he was being given the chance to experience that love instead of just watching it. That was the only thing that he really need to know.

 So he smiled, and leaned back into her embrace as an answer. He may not have known her, but he felt safe in her arms, and she felt like a mom.  That was all that mattered.

#

_2012_

The landing at the Pole was rocky and abrupt. Even with the man's normal touchdowns, North always managed to crash-land the death machine that he thought of as his sleigh. Every, single time.  Bunny was certain the man did it on purpose.

The rabbit groaned as he rolled out of the sleigh, stretching and massaging sore muscles he'd held in stiff terror during the flight. Jack chuckled as he flew out behind him, and Bunny gave him a steely glare for mocking his misery. The angry look melt off his face as he saw the boy tenderly holding his chest, his shoulders heaving and his breathing heavy.  Bunny felt a twinge of concern, thinking back on the nasty fall the kid had taken in the fight. He may have bruised, even broken a few ribs.

Catching his look, Jack straightened and gave the rabbit a small smile and moved inside. Bunny filed the worry away for another time and followed the younger spirit inside. Once inside Bunny made a dash for the nearest fire, muttering complaints about the cold. The others smiled and followed his lead, all settling into seats brought into the globe room.

They chatted for a while and then settled into a somewhat awkward silence. And Jack was bored. Like, to the point of near death. He kicked his heels against the bottom of his chair and shifted so that his head was hanging off the edge.  Then he moved back to an upright position to look at the fire, and then propped himself on the back of the chair.  He kept at it, as the others stared at him in bemusement, until boredom finally got the best of him. Then he jumped out of the chair and strolled out of the room.

"I'm going to go get the yeti to make me some food," he announced over his shoulder.

"Jack do not torment the yeti!" North called after him. If Jack heard the call, he didn't respond.

"Let him go, mate. If he's out botherin' the workers, he's not buggin' us. Namely me."

That got him some disapproving stares, and he shrugged them off.

They fell back into varying degrees of silence. Sandy dosed off where he hovered by the fire, Tooth sat with a cluster of her fairies, occasionally whispering to them, or glancing over at the sleeping Sandman. She sighed and glanced after her second source of worry.

"Do you think he's all right?" She asked nervously.  The others jerked out of their musings and followed her line of sight, to room Jack had waltzed off to.

Bunny sighed.  "Kid took quite the beatin'. He was nursin' chest when we got ta the Pole, we might want ta check on him," he added, thinking back to their arrival.

Tooth gave a concerned whine, and he sent her an understanding look of comfort.

"I’m sure he's fine, Toothy. Kid's resilient; takes more than a little knock ta take him down."

"I just worry."

"I know."

"Really?  You get the boy into a situation where he’s tossed around like a rag doll, and that’s all the attention you give it?  ‘It takes more than that to knock him down’. And here I was ready to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

At the sudden sound of the disembodied voice, everyone jump to attention.  The voice echoed through the room, lightly accented, and for a moment they feared another attack from Pitch. They turned about, trying to find the speaker, a cold ball settling in their chests at the feel of déjà vu.

"You really outta consider improving your security, North. It was pathetically easy to get into your oh-so-precious workshop."

The voice solidified to one source, and though it was clearly female and therefore not Pitch, the four where still nervous when they turned to meet the source. It was a dark, lanky, regal woman, watching them with golden eyes filled with a small amount of amusement and large portions of annoyance.

Well, not Pitch, but a close second.

"Mother Nature," North said by way of greeting, warry and with no small amount of suspicion. The nature spirit nodded back.

"What are you doing here?" The big man pressed.

"Nice to see you, too."

"Answer the question, Sera," Bunny insisted. Though his relationship with the Nature spirit was the least hostile of the four, next to Tooth, the woman’s sudden appearance put him on edge. 

Sera was unpredictable at best, and considering the beat down they’d just given Pitch…Yeah, wariness was not overrated.

"What do you want?" Annoyance crept into North's tone.

"Oh, you mean am I here on family business?" A sharp grin crawled over the woman's face.

 _That_ had the Guardians reaching for their weapons. Her smiled grew and she shook her head like she was dealing with obnoxious children.

"Not the kind you think," she assured.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, the Nature spirit and the childhood spirits staring each other down. All the while, Seraphina kept a smug smile on her sharp face. The image was so like Pitch that the tension in the room very nearly boiled over.

Which was of course the exact moment that Jack decide to waltz back into the room.

"I got the yeti to make us pizza!" He announced, completely oblivious to the situation. "I've never had it," he continued, "but the kids seem to really like it, so I'd figure we'd give it a go. It should be done in about twenty minutes."

Sera's face softened the second Jack came into the room, a full smile lighting her up as she watched him ramble on. When Jack didn't register her presence, and the Guardians only stared at him wide eyed, she cleared her throat to get his attention. The winter boy's attention snap to her, and his face slackened in surprise.

"Oh.  Hi," he greeted, giving a small wave.

"Hi? Is that all I get?" She asked, raising a brow.

Jack shrugged in reply. Sera continued to watch him expectantly, and Jack winced. He motioned to the Guardians, making a small whine in the back of his throat. The nature spirit only cocked her head and waited.

Jack slumped and trudged forward, giving an occasional groan as he marched.  The older Guardians called out a number of concerned calls, and even took tentative steps to intercept the boy.  Sera brought them to a stop with a glare, and then rolled her eyes back to Jack as he finished shambling forward, looking more like he was headed to death row than offering a greeting.

"Honey, I’m not asking that much."

"But…" He waved at the Guardians who still gaped at them, and sent a pleading wince her way.

She gave him a deadpan look, and waited.  Jack groaned and slumped again. Then he stumbled forward and wrapped his arms around her torso. Sera wrapped her own arms around the slim boy, ignoring the confused or worried sounds coming from the Moon spirits, resting her head against Jack's snowy locks.

 Then, because his whiny attitude was really getting on her nerves, she shoved him back and placed a big, slobbery kiss on his brow. Which Jack protested to with a loud whine.

"Mom!" He griped, whipping at his forehead in an attempt to wipe away the kiss.

"You should've just given me the hug, you little shit," she snorted, giving Jack's forehead a flick.

Jack laughed and stuck his tongue out, while Tooth gave a look to her fellow Guardians. 'Mom?' she mouthed, earning shrugs from the others.

"Are you alright?" She asked, firmly ignoring the other occupants of the room.

"I'm fine."

"As fine as you can be after a battle," she corrected.

Jack smiled and shrugged and then winced at the painful twinge in his chest. Sera's brows furrowed in concern and she eyed the boy. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him close again, tugging at his sweat shirt in an attempt to pull it up and examine his chest, even as Jack batted at her hands. He yanked at her arms when she became more persistent, trying to twist out of her grip.

"Mom, mom stop it," he complained. "Mom, they're right there. Mom they're watching!"

Sera fought with his hands, determined to see what was wrong. She didn't care right now how much Jack's stubborn teenage pride didn't want her attention. Her baby was hurt and she needed to see. Then she would she would tear Lunar and his Guardians a new one for letting her little boy get hurt, for failing to protect him, she would make them pay—

"Mom, would you stop trying to strip me in front of my friends!" Jack shrieked.

Sera snapped out of her daze looking at Jack, then to the Guardians. They all watched the two with expressions of worry, confusion and amusement. She sighed and released her grip on the hoodie.

"Fine. But we will look at that, and you will not complain," she ordered with a stern look.

Jack rolled his eyes with a huff. The reaction – and the entire situation – got a snorted laughter out of Bunny. Which drew the woman's attention back to the four, and hardened her expression.

"Right now, I need to have a chat with your new friends."

"Okay," Jack agreed, confused at the sharp tone and the rather frightening expression that crossed her face.

"Alone, dear," she clarified.

"What? No, no you can't just send me out of the room!"

"Watch me," she countered with a snort.

"No! You can’t just send me out the room like I’m a little kid!"

"Jack," Sera warned, anger rising.

"No! Okay? Anything you want to say to them you can say in front of me! I don't care—"

"Jackson!"

Jack's jaw clamped shut with an audible click. The two spirits stared at one another before Jack sighed and slumped under his mother's glare. He pouted and crossed his arms.

"This is not cool," he whined.

"Duly noted." When she nodded to motion the boy out, Jack marched off, grumbling all the way.

"And no ease dropping!" She called as an afterthought.

"Damn it!" He complained, stomping his foot.

"Excuse me?"

Jack stuttered, came to a halt and glanced back to meet the nature woman's steely gaze. He winced, curled in on himself and almost ran out of the room with a mumble 'sorry'. Sera sighed and gently massaged her forehead before turning back to the older Guardians.

"Any chance ya can teach us ta do that," Bunny inquired, shifting under the woman's gaze.

"It's rather simple: you have to be his mother. And you are on the very top of my short list right now, so I suggest you shut it," she snapped.

Sera opened her mouth to continue and then stopped, tilting her head to the side. Her brows once again furrowed in annoyance and then her face darkened in a new level of terrifying rage.

"Jackson Overland Frost, get your little ass out of this room this instant!"

 There was a loud thump off to the side and then the slap of bare feet against the floor as Jack fled. Sera pinched the bridge of her nose while Bunny wondered whatever sense had alerted her to Jack presence; even he hadn't noticed the boy.

"That boy is going to give me grey hairs, I swear it," she muttered. "Where was I?" She asked, glancing at the group.

Sandy perked up, waving a hand to get her attention. A scroll appeared over his head, and then shrank. 'Short list', he supplied with a light smile.

"Right, yes. Thank you," Sera said with a wave of acknowledgment. Bunny elbowed the shorter spirit and gave him an annoyed look. They didn't need her to remember why she was angry with them!

"To say I'm displeased with your job so far in taking care of my boy is putting it mildly,” she continued, stalking around them as she spoke, “Of course, I wasn’t too confident to begin with."

"What do you mean? Of course we would protect boy; is our job!" North protested.

"Oh yes, because you've proven yourselves completely competent in that area with him," she muttered dryly.

"What are you talking about?" North said, offended.

"Really? Do you want examples from the last three hundred years or just the last three days? I've got plenty for both."  They winced, clearly understanding where she was headed.  She pushed on anyway.  "Let's stick with the last three days, it's fresher in your minds.

"For starters: you abducted him.  You harassed him, and then blackmailed him until he agreed to fight for you.  Don’t say that you didn’t,” she snapped when North looked ready to protest. “when you use information that he wants to get him to do something that _you_ want, it’s called blackmail.  Then, after you dragged him into the middle of a war zone, and put his life in needless danger numerous times, you abandoned him.  Left him alone and vulnerable with a power hungry psychopath running around, who had already taken an uncomfortably high interest in him and, might I add, has a bit of a history targeting your younger team members!  And of course, let’s not forget the time he was nearly beheaded on your watch, just a few hours ago,” she shouted.     

Sandy sent the others a confused look.  The latter half of that rant hinted to the time when he was ‘dead’, and he did not like what was being hinted.  However, no one had the time to clarify as North snapped back.

“The boy is fine.”

“Barely, and no thanks to you.  If it weren’t for Sanderson, Jack would be dead right now.  None of you had any right to bring him into this.”

“Manny named Jack a Guardian, and Jack was willing to help us.”

“After you made it clear what he had to lose, correct?  His past, his identity.”  Things that should have been his to begin with, was unspoken, but very well heard.  North flinched.  “Even so, he isn’t capable of making those kinds of decisions.  He’s a child, a teenage boy, and he is biologically incapable of making wise longer-term decisions.  Which is why it’s supposed to be up to the adults,” she dug a finger into North’s chest as she empathized the word, “ to make sure that he doesn’t do anything life-threateningly stupid.”

"I fail to see why this concerns you," North spat, pushing back guilt for the time being.

"He's my child," she said, tone icy.

"Is impossible. Jack is Guardian, and so is spirit of Moon."

Sera gave him a stunned look.  And then broke down into nearly hysterical giggles. By the time she finally straightened, there were tears gathered in the corner of her eyes.

"Really, your stupidity baffles me.  As much as you love to think the Lunar brat is all powerful, the Seasons are, and always will be, my domain. He could not have made a winter spirit without my assistance," she concluded, and stood back to wait for the information to sink in.

The Tooth Fairy blinked, trying to piece it together before she spoke,

"So… Jack is a Nature spirit?" But that couldn't be. Jack had to be a Moon spirit to be chosen as a Guardian.

"Well, you could say that it's more a joint custody situation."

"Ya mean, like yer his parents?" Bunny threw in, pushing back a laugh when Sera's eye twitched.

"Yes," she hissed.

"Why on Earth would ya—"

"Back on point," Sera interrupted, "My son’s life is now in your hands.  Do.  Better.  And keep this in mind: you have no chance of fighting me, if I decided that I want you to pay.  Don’t delude yourself; the Boogeyman is child’s play compared to what I can bring,” she snapped before North could put in his two cents.  “I don’t have a preference for games.  I am everywhere.  I am everything.  And if I decide that I want you dead, you will be dead before you even know what’s happening. 

“Think on that for a bit.”

She winked and strolled out, leaving the four spirits staring after her in confusion and disbelief.

#

Jack was sitting perched on the edge of the roof, turning his tooth box over in his hand when Sera came to find him. The woman sat next to him, swinging her feet in the air and glancing at his face every so often. They sat in silence for a time before Jack mustered up the courage to ask.

"How bad?" He finally asked with a wince, preparing for the worst. Sera mad full eye contact, riddling out what he meant.

"On a scale of one to ten, one being a small slap on the wrist and ten being I destroyed any chance you have of a social life: I'd say a five." She shrugged, giving him a grin.

Jack smiled and shook his head, somewhat relieved.

"I thought it was going to be a lot worse. It looked like you wanted to skin them."

"It was tempting," she admitted.

The boy laughed again and they lapsed into silence, staring into the horizon. Sera found her gaze wander to the box in Jack's hands. She sighed, recognizing the smiling face on the end, and realized it was a topic that needed discussing.

"How much did you see?" She questioned gently, motioning to the box. Jack looked down, then to her.

"Only a little. My sister and….. when I, how I….." and that was what needed discussing. He turned to him, eyes blazing. "Why didn't you ever tell me?!"

Sera sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. She tightened her grip when he tried to shake her off, held firm until he tired out.

"Many reasons," she began. "I'd hoped you'd remember on your own, I didn't want to push you. And, after a while it just became easier not to tell you.”

“I could have seen them again.  I could have been with them, I could have been with them for the rest of their lives—“

“That’s called haunting, honey.”

Jack gaped at her and worked his jaw as he tried to form a response.  He stared at her, torn between anger and grief, and the niggling bit of reason that she was right.  He finally nodded, tears lining his eyes.

"I'm not sorry. I'm proud of what I did; I saved her, I'll never regret that. But…"

"I know, honey, I know" she whispered, grasping his hand.  This time, he let her.

"Do you think she was mad at me? My mom? I wasn't careful and I promised, and it must of hurt her so much when—"

"Oh no, baby. Of course she wouldn't be mad at you."

Jack relaxed a fraction at the reassurance, but he still had tears in his eyes when he looked up to meet Sera's gaze.

"Do you think…..is it wrong to her, that I still think of you as my mom, too?"

Sera's heart melted and she had to blink back her own tears. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. She lifted the hand holding the case, gazing at it.

"I don't know. But if that makes you happy, if it's what you need, I’ like to think that she would understand."

Jack looked up at her, smiled and snuggled into her hold. They sat there for a time and Jack basked in the comfort of Sera's hold.

"I'm proud of you. I want you to know that: so very proud."

Jack smiled up at her again. She smiled back. Ruffled his hair and moved to get up. Jack latched on to her arm.

"Could you… can you stay for dinner?"

He smiled sweetly, fluttering his lashes in a way he knew Sera couldn't resist. Sera laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

Really, this boy.

"Why not?" She said after a moment of laughter, still smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

_1762_

Jack was flying south over the United States when he had his first lapse in control over his powers. It was also the first time he met a spirit aside from Sera.

He was over Texas, headed for South America to give a small dusting on the Chilean mountains, a direct order from his mother, when it happened. The thing about a direct order from the Queen of Nature herself, was that the order had to be followed. Sooner rather than later, for if the desired action wasn't preformed, the power would be forced out of its carrier. No matter where they were.

Jack however, Jack did not know this. He'd never met anyone other than Sera who could tell him so, and Sera felt no need to tell him, because Jack had never shown any sign of disobeying her. In fact, Jack had never felt the need to do so, never, ever even considered going against her.

Until then, at least.

Because he was still a teenage boy. And his mother was a very overbearing and protective woman. It was only natural that a bit of rebellion was bound to come about.

She hadn’t let Jack wander the world as much as he wanted, claiming that there were people out there that could hurt him.  So she barely let Jack out of her sight as she taught him how to handle his powers.  That didn’t sit right with him, so when he felt a painful twinge in his chest that had everything in him screaming to race to Chile, he ignored it.  He was in the middle of a pretty good snowball fight with some kids in Canada, and he was determined to finish his fun.

Besides, Sera wasn't the boss of him.  So there.

Even when the twinge became a tightly wound ball of pain, Jack still ignored it, because he was in the middle of icing over his lake in Burgess, and he was annoyed that Sera had caused this hindrance in his fun with her stupid order. But when the pain got steadily worse over the course of the night, he finally decided to follow his instincts. After all, there was a point where stubborn rebellion turned to plain stupidity, and he'd long passed it.

He was just over Texas when the pain knocked him out of the sky. As soon as he hit the ground, Winter's power exploded from his chest in a torrent of ice and snow, leaving him screaming and withering on the ground, helpless against it. When it was over, he curled up against the echoes of pain, holding back sobs and pulling his knees to his chest.  After what felt like hours, the pain faded away.  A long while after that, Jack finally managed to sit up and get a good look at his surroundings.

Uh-oh, he thought.  The blood drained away from his face and he gulped nosily.

Everything around him for miles around was pure white, covered in ice and snow. In the southern U.S, that almost never saw even the slightest dusting of snow.  In the middle of summer.  Mom was going to be _so_ _pissed_.

"What did you do?!" A voice shrieked behind him, making Jack jump. Oh no, he was going to get the grilling of his life for this, he'd be lucky if he'd see the sun for a week, no, a year after this, he was so—wait a minute: that wasn't mom.

He climbed to his feet shakily and turned around slowly, taking in the spirit in front of him. It was another teenager, not much older than him, he realized with a thrill. A teenage boy with dark eyes and red hair, just a bit taller than Jack and just as thin. He jogged forward, the angry tone from the older boy forgotten in the excitement of having a friend his own age. There was so much they could do together! They could go to Chile together, play in the snow, go to some of Jack's other favorite areas. This was so great!

 He was drawn out of his excited ramblings by a rough hand to his chest and then he was pushed an arm's length away from the spirit.

"What did you do?!" the boy repeated, and Jack was starting to think being friends wasn't going to happen when the taller boy shoved him back and off his feet, a snarl on his face.

"I'm sorry.  It was an accident." The explanation came off a bit whiney but Jack couldn't find the will to care too much. The other spirit was scaring him.

"You think I'm going to believe that, you Winter bastard?!" He growled, yanking Jack to his feet by the arm. "You did it on purpose, admit it!"

He shook Jack roughly, gripping his arm so tightly the smaller boy thought it would break. He blinked back tears as the older teen continued to yell obscenities and demands for him to confess, with his grip tightening around Jack's arm all the while. His fingers dug into Jack's arm, followed by a horrible burning and Jack finally let out a scream.

"Let go!" He cried, yanking at the spirit's arm when he only smiled cruelly. "That hurts, let me go!"

The older boy laughed, dragging the younger closer. The burning feeling grew worse and Jack swore he could smell his flesh burning. The spirit twisted Jack's arm, getting another scream from the boy, laughing all the while. The sound pierced through Jack's pain and fear enough for anger to take control. With an enraged shout of 'I said LET. GO!' he twisted his body to the side and leaned back so he could maneuver his staff. He shot a blast of Winter magic toward the spirit, hitting the taller boy in the mid-chest.

The spirit flew back and Jack stumbled away, cradling his arm as he examined it. There was a hand print burned in perfect clarity into the skin of his forearm. It stung and throbbed horribly and he tucked it back against his chest when the spirit climbed back to his feet. He eyed Jack, and the staff the Winter boy was aiming at him, and recognition lit in his eyes.

"I know who you are," he mumbled, stalking forward. "You're Seraphina's special baby boy, arentcha?"

Jack stumbled back, eyeing the spirit in open fear as he advanced.

"What does she see in you, huh? Cause all I see is a whiny little brat."

Jack jumped on the wind as the other boy lunged for him again, zipping away as fast as he could.

"Don't think this is over!" Jack heard him shout and he shuttered and flew faster.

#

"…..it's not an excuse, but… we weren't' really in our best's minds right then. And it looked like he… so we sent him off," Bunny explained, turning his gaze from Sandy's enraged stare.

The dream spirit looked to North and Tooth, who both ducked away under his glare. It _wasn't_ an excuse. No matter how broken up they were about his 'death' or losing Easter, there was no excuse to leave Jack vulnerable to Pitch. Leaving a child to that monster when he'd already hurt so many others was beyond any excuse!

"We know Sandy!" Bunny snapped as the Sandman unconsciously signed his thoughts. "We know we bollixed things up. We know it wasn't acceptable." Bunny sighed and tugged at his ears in distress.

"Now you can see why I was so cross with you lot.”

Bunny was used to being aware of everyone around him – the giant ears on the top of his head weren’t just for show, after all.  That was the only reason that he jumped with a strangled yelp when Sera’s voice sounded directly next to him.  Of course, that didn’t mean that he’d ever be able to live it down, and he knew that instantly.  He sent Sera a glare, and tried to discretely get his heart rate back under control.

“And I feel I should apologize for the arrow to the back.  By association,” she continued, keeping her eyes on Sandy.  The little man sent her a shrug, and gave her a clear sign that she didn’t need to apologize.  Sera shrugged back.

"Why?”  Bunny said with a growl.

"Family quirk," she retorted, earning an eye roll from the four.

"Why are you still here?" North growled.

"Jack invited me to stay for dinner."

"Of course he did." Bunny rubbed his forehead tiredly.  Then he gave her a teasing grin.  “He asks ya to spend some time with his new friends and ya jump at the chance.  Kid’s got you wrapped around his little finger, doesn’t he?”

"You mock, only because you’ve yet to experience the utter devastation of his puppy dog eyes.”  She sent him a matching grin.   “Now, let's try that pizza Jack's been going on about.”

#

Jack wandered back into the room right on the heels of the pizza, bouncing happily on his toes. The steaming pizza was so big that it hardly fit on the table, and apparently, Jack requested every topping known to man.

Bunny eyed the monstrosity as a gargantuan slice was placed on his plate, feeling more than a little queasy at the idea of eating that much food. He looked over at Jack who was chatting happily in between his bites, sighed, and began picking off the various meats. At least there were still a large variety of veggies mixed in there.

There were bits of chatter around the table while the pizza was devoured, mostly spurred on by Jack. There were several checks on Sandy's condition – again, Jack – as well as pleasant banter, something even Sera joined in on. It turned out Mother Nature could be quite friendly when she wasn't dishing out death threats.

Once everyone was pleasantly full, they trailed back to the globe room, and the lounging chairs that were still waiting for them. Sera hovered over Jack the entire way, either keeping a hand on his shoulder or just looming over him.  The kid seemed well and used to the behavior, only looking put upon when North offered the two of them a glass of champagne, and Sera brought down a fit of wrath that had the large man cowering like a scolded child. 

“Nicholas, are you honestly offering my teenage son alcohol?”  She said in a chilly tone.

North glanced down at the glass, hesitantly, and then back at the stony look Sera pointed at him.  “No?” He answered slowly.

“Was that a question?” She asked, adding a raised eyebrow to the tone.

“No? No, no,” he decided, hastily pulling the offered glass away.  Then he turned on his heels and moved away as quickly as he could.

“Come on, Mom,” Jack complained.

“You’re not old enough to drink, Jack.”

“I’m over three hundred years old.”

“Not physically, and that’s all I care about.”

“Then when will I be allowed to drink?”

“When you’re twenty-one.”

“But I’m never going to be twenty-one!”

“Exactly.”  Something about her tone and Jack’s answering, exasperated sigh, said that this wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation.

Bunny had to admit, it was pretty damn cute.

When Jack decided to pull the others into a game, Sera stopped the shadow act and retreated to the outskirts of the group.  Bunny joined her after a few minutes and they stood in silence for a time, watching Jack as he stood with North, Tooth and Sandy in front of what looked like a pyramid made up of frozen elves.

"What is he doing?" Aster asked, as the kid rolled a large ball toward the pyramid so that it collapsed.

"He's teaching them the skills of 'elf bowling'.”

Bunny snorted and continued watching. He glanced over at her occasionally, taking in her soft smile.  It was something that he hadn't seen in a long time, not that he'd seem her in just as long. He pushed the thought away and focused on basking in the company of his oldest friend.

"I've missed this," he muttered. Sera glanced over, raising a brow. "Missed you." Sera smiled, turning to face him fully.

"Me too. But there are reasons that we don't spend time together," she informed him, turning back to watch her boy.

Bunny sighed, running a paw over his ears when they sank against his back. Yeah, there were reasons, painful reasons, that they didn't see one another. Or, well, one reason that insisted on popping every couple of centuries.

Pushing the topic away, he focused on the way she watched Jack.

"Ya really care about him, don't ya?"

"He's my baby," she said in agreement.

"Yeah. ‘Bout that: ya wanna explain how ya and Manny are somehow his parents?”

"Do we need to have a talk about where babies come from?”

“Come on, Sera, ya know what I mean.”

Sera hummed in thought, never taking her eyes off of Jack.

"It was a necessary evil," she said after a while. "I'd had my eye on Jack for a while, from the moment he was born, really. I knew he was going to be something special, and I wanted him as my Winter spirit. Unfortunately, even my great reserves of power, I still have limits. And that boy was incredibly difficult to make into a spirit," she gripped with a fond eye roll before she sobered again. "It was either I make the boy a spirit, or I give him life.  But I couldn't do both. So, I transferred the power of Winter to Lunar, which he in turn gave to Jack, and then I gave the boy his life back. And there he is," Sera finish with a grand gesture to the boy in question.

"There 'e is," Aster agreed with a smile. "Where did the Guardian bit come in?"

"Fine print."

Bunny laughed again, shaking his head. After a moment of thinking over what Sera had said, he frowned in confusion.

"Why did the kid need to be given life?"

The fond smile that had taken residence on Sera's face as she watched Jack play dropped, and she looked like she hadn't quite meant to mention that. She frowned herself now, thinking over how best to answer.

"That's not for me to answer, Aster. I shouldn't as much as I did, really, and if you really want to know, you best do your own research."

Aster's frown deepened at that, but he let it go. Then he smirked when a devilish detail snuck its way into his mind.

"Tell me, does the kid know about the rest of his 'family'?"

That finally tore Sera's gaze away from Jack, and she eyed the rabbit out of the corner of her eye. A sharp grin, nearly bitter, crawled over her face as she interpreted the meaning behind the question.

"You mean, have I told him that the Boogeyman is technically his grandfather? No, we haven't gotten to that conversation quite yet."

"Does Pitch know? Does he?" He pushed when Sera didn't answer, forgetting his need to tease her in the wake of the sense of foreboding that filled him. That was a rather important piece of information; they did not need Pitch using that against Jack when they fought again.

"Sera?" He pushed. The woman winced. "Sera! You told Pitch before you told Jack?!"

"Well, it's not so much that I told him; it's more of he was…. present, for when Jack was born."

Bunny let a disbelieving breath out of his nose. Well, that wasn't ideal, but they would deal with that bridge when they came to it.

After Sera broke the news to the kid, because that was so not something Bunny was going to do.

"How'd he take that?" He asked, knowing Pitch wouldn't take well to knowing his daughter had teamed up with his arch enemy, for anything, let alone the creation of a spirit that would become a Guardian.

"Oh, he was eight kinds of pissed.  I'm pretty sure he disowned me." Sera let out a sudden snort of laughter, sending Bunny a delighted grin. "The man looks like a disgruntled cat when he's angry," she added.

Bunny chortled at the idea, and Sera quickly let loose the laughed she'd been holding back.

Yes, this was nice, he thought as he laughed until his stomach hurt. They hadn't been able to laugh together in a long time.

"Did ya chew him out yet?" he asked when they got themselves under control.

"No. But we will be having a few choice words when I get him back on his feet.  I’m not pleased with the incident in Burgess."

Bunny's smile slipped off his face like water. He looked at the woman incredulously, and when she noticed he'd gone quiet, Sera turned to look at him.

"Yer going to do what?" He ventured, anger seeping in to his voice.

"He'll need help.  I can't just leave him on his own."

"Of course ya can!" Aster broke off with an exasperated sigh, tiredly rubbing his forehead. "Sera, why do ya do this? Why do ya keep contact with him, give him help when he doesn't deserve any of it?!"

Sera looked down at her hands, wringing them together as she sighed. When she looked back up, any trace of warmth was gone, replaced by a stony mask with just a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

"I can't just leave him. No matter what's happened, how much I hate what he's become and what he's done….he's still my dad, Aster," she explained, sounding like she was close to weeping, looking at the rabbit and willing him to understand. "And…there's some part of him…. that's more and more like the man who was really my father. I can't give up on that. Are you going to tell me you didn't notice it either?!" She demanded when Aster only let out a dubious laugh.

"No, because last time I saw him he was in the middle of _destroying my holiday_ ," he yelled with a glare, leaning in until they were nose to nose. They stared at each other for a moment before Sera gave a heavy sigh.

"And this is we don’t spend time together," she whispered sadly.

Aster deflated, ears drooping in guilt. It was true; this was how any of their conversations always ended. Because Sera still held onto the desperate hope that there was still some shred of her father still somewhere inside Pitch Black. And Aster could never forgive the man for destroying his people.

It made get-togethers very difficult considering the topic of Pitch proved almost impossible to avoid.

"I should be going."

"Sera—"

"I've over stayed my welcome, Aster," she insisted. Moving to leave despite Bunny's protests, Sera paused, turning back.

"I would like to ask you to look after him.  The boy attracts more trouble than you’d believe.  Now that you four are pulling him into even more danger, I need a little more help keeping him alive."

"Ya already did that," Bunny snarked, looking to lightened the mood.

"That was a threat to you as a group," she shot back, smirking. She grew serious after a second, looking at him imploringly. "This is me asking you as a friend. Aster, please, please look after my little boy."

Bunny looked down at the boy in question, watching him cheer as he got a strike, jumping with his arms held high. He looked so young in that moment, so much like one of the children he'd so recently sworn to protect. And Bunny decided with that realization that he would do it for more than just Sera's request.

"I will," he promised. He was long over- due in his duties for Jack, and now was the perfect time to start.

Sera nodded, satisfied, and went down to say goodbye to her boy.


	4. Chapter 4

_1772_

Over the years, Jack had several encounters with the other spirits of the world. None of them ever came close his first with the summer spirit – thank god, Sera hadn't let him out of her sight for months after that, both in an overprotective frenzy and a form of grounding for disobeying and getting himself into that situation; it was hell – but none were overly pleasant, either. And in sixty years, he'd only met Nature spirits. It was only when he heard some of the children speaking giddily of 'Santa Claus' on what they called 'Christmas Eve', that Sera told him of the other half of the spirit world: Moon spirits.

Spirits of the Man in the Moon, the Tsar Lunar, who had given Jack his name and assisted in his creation. They were well known in the human world, holiday and childhood icons, whereas as those of Nature were unknown forces behind the weather. And she told him how the popularity often made Moon spirits rude and arrogant; and the lack of attention made many Nature spirits jaded and cruel, which explained the summer spirit encounter.

She told him of the Guardians. The Guardians of Childhood; Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman. It was like magic to hear of these fairy-tale protectors, and made Jack's eyes sparkle with wonder. So he set out to find them.

Santa was the best choice; his location was the only of the four that was well known. The Tooth Fairy and Sandman traveled every night, and the Easter Bunny only showed up on Easter.

So he went north. He spent days scouring the tundra of the North Pole, until he finally found the workshop, sitting grandly in the ice. He flew to the nearest window, peaking in, dazzled. Inside were piles of beautifully wrapped packages, stacked all the way to the ceiling in an explosion of color.  Jack’s grin nearly split his face in half as he pressed his face flush against the window, trying to see as much as possible.

 He slipped through the window, gazing at the gifts as he wandered through the hall. He was so captivated by the gifts that he didn't notice he wasn't alone until he ran face first into a fall of fur. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he was lifted off his feet and thrown over a broad, furry shoulder. He spit out the stands of fur on his tongue and tried to glance around as he was carried off, at the workshop and at the thing that was carrying him, but he was tossed into the snow before he saw much of anything. The furry thing that had tossed him outside was a gigantic thing and it wagged a finger at him as it garbled at him before walking back inside.

What was that? He wondered for a moment. Then he smirked, and a game quickly took root in his mind. The workshop was even better than Jack thought if they were that determined to keep him out. 

It was on!

After months of failed attempts of trying to get into the workshop, Jack decided it was time to move on. Not give up – because he was going to get in there, those yetis were going down! – but he wasn't getting any closer to Santa by trying to break in, fun as it was. So, he moved on to the next Guardian.

He decided to try the Tooth Fairy. Easter was still several months away, and staying out every night for the Sandman was out of the question—mom would have a conniption if he tried it. Besides, a little girl in the village near his lake had lost a tooth, so it was ideal.

He camped out by the window, determined to wait as long as it took and kept an eye for the Sandman, since he was there anyway. He saw the first signs of golden streams trailing across the night sky and was almost willing to chase after those in favor of sitting at the window when he caught sight of a tiny green and blue blur out of the corner of his eye. He whirled around and saw the same blur zip out of the girl’s window.  He immediately raced after it.  After a few second he caught the little blur and gently cupped it in his hands. Peeking into his cupped palms, he saw a tiny bird-like woman clutching a tooth, glaring up at him in defiance.

Huh. That was not what he was expecting. Didn't mom say the Tooth Fairy was a full-sized woman? Yes. That's exactly what she said! So what was this? It had a tooth, had collected it from under the girl's pillow, so, what—

"Ow!" he shouted when the tiny thing stabbed the flesh of his palms. He let it go in shock and pain, and then dashed back in front of it when the little fairy tried to fly off.

"Hey, I'm sorry," he said for comfort, smiling. The fairy stopped her frantic buzzing and just stared at him, almost like it was in awe. Jack took it as a good sign and went on, "I just—ah!" he garbled when the little fairy proceeded to pry his jaw open and crawl into his mouth, cooing at his teeth.

He stayed perfectly still, partially stunned and mostly because he was sure he would end up swallowing the little thing if he made even the slightest move. When it – she, he corrected, getting a good enough look to determine the gender—crawled back out he coughed and spit out stray feathers, and eyed her warily. Okay, that was defiantly the weirdest encounter with a spirit _ever_.

"So, are you the Tooth Fairy?" he asked.  He kept a hand partially covering his mouth and a close eye on the little fairy.

The little bird woman looked shocked and shook her head. He furrowed his brow and eyed the tooth in the little hands. Then why…?

"Oh! So are you, like a helper?" He got an affirmative nod and cheered with a happy smile. The little fairy pawed at his teeth one last time with a happy sigh and then zoomed off faster than he could blink.

"Wait!" he called even though she was gone. "Can you take me to her?" Came a dejected whisper. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

So much for the Tooth Fairy.

That only left two, and to be honest, Jack was starting to lose the wonder of the subject. It was becoming more of a chore than adventure or game. And absolutely no fun. But now it was a mission and he had to complete it, misery or no.

He watched the night sky for months for signs of the Sandman. And every night only got the streams of dream sand. At least they made fun pictures when Jack touched them.

Then Easter arrived and the magic was revived. After all, the Easter Bunny was just as exciting as Santa. He hid throughout the day, watching children hunt for and find the eggs – and he had to admit, the holiday had to be something very special to cause the children such joy – watching for any sign of the Easter Bunny. It was well into the afternoon, when the children had filed away, that Jack saw him.

He was starting to dose off when he felt the earth rumbled ever so slightly. Peeking up he saw a long pair of ears rise from a newly formed hole. He gapped in wonder, watching the rabbit – big. giant, huge, humongous!—emerge from the ground.

This was why he'd worked so hard to find these spirits. Totally worth it! He crept from the bush, making his way over to the rabbit, who was busy hiding more brightly colored eggs. He cleared his throat when he was a foot from the rabbit, and the creature to jump and whirl around to face him.

"Hi, I'm—"He didn't get anything further before he had a boomerang shoved under his nose. He looked up at the taller being, confused and frightened. Not this again.

"You best not be tryin' ta mess with my holiday, Winter brat," the creature warned.

"I'm not—"

"Ya lot always do. Always wantin' ta take a kick at Spring."

"I didn't—"

"But ya picked the wrong holiday, brat. Yer not kickin' at Spring through my holiday, so get."

"But I—"

"I said get!" The rabbit raised the boomerang in warning and then stalked away.

Jack stood in shock, blinking away hurt and angry tears. Why didn't anyone like him? What did he do? Then anger took over and he stomped away.

"Fine! Who needs you people anyway!" he shouted as he flew off.

He certainly didn't. Not at all.

It was another year before he ran into the Sandman. Not that he wanted to at that point; he was sick of the Guardians entirely. Not to say that he didn't still try to get into the Pole anymore, it just wasn't to see Santa.  It was just a matter of pride.

He didn't need, or want anything to do with the Guardians. They were uppity, terrible, typical Moon spirits. Mom was right about them.  Well, he guessed the Sandman wasn't too bad. He actually gave Jack the time of day and spoke to him, in his own special way. But still, it didn't give him much hope for Moon spirits.

And he still didn't need them.

#

The original four Guardians sat in the globe room, sipping at their champagne as they once more lapsed into their own thoughts.

 Jack had left near an hour before, after a humiliating goodbye hug and kiss from Sera – which his elder Guardians very clearly enjoyed, far too much—saying he was headed back to his lake and then to the areas of the globe where Winter was on the way. He promised to be back for the scheduled meeting next week and dashed out the window.

Bunny had a feeling his frantic escape was due more to the Sera's smothering version of motherly care than any pressing duties of Winter. The thought made the rabbit Guardian smile.

North sent occasional glance to the window Jack used to make his exit. He didn't like having Jack out of his sight; it worried him. If Jack wasn't with him he couldn't watch over the boy, couldn't keep him safe, there were things out there, like Pitch or worse and Jack was all alone and vulnerable to all of them and he was so _small_ —the man gave himself a shake. He'd hardly known the boy for three days; just because Jack was a Guardian did not make him North's responsibility. Or his son, as much as he may have wanted it to be so. The Christmas spirit sighed, brushed a hand through his beard, and went back to staring at the window.

Tooth shot the larger Guardian a concerned look – he was projecting too much worry as he glanced at the window not to trouble her – and glanced at the others as well. Bunny looked lost in his thoughts as he gazed down at his glace and Sandy looked on the verge of dosing off; neither anywhere near as jittery as North. She sighed, noted to ask the big man about it later and glanced down at the small golden tube in her hand.

Her throat closed up and tears stung at the edges of her eyes as she stared down at the small face smiling at her. The face was a shade darker, hair and eyes both a chocolate brown in contrast to pure white and shining blue, but it was still obviously Jack's face she was looking at on this tooth box.

The winter boy gave it to her just before he'd left, pushing it into her hands when she'd tried to object. It was his, he deserved to keep it, she'd insisted.

"I know," he'd assured, cutting her off, "I trust you with them."

The declaration almost had her bursting into tears, which she stubbornly forced down. However, she did zip over and pull the boy into a tight hug. It was such a beautiful display of trust. Trust she had no idea why she deserved and it made her so happy she was over the Moon. Until she felt how stiff Jack was in her arms. When she let go to see what was wrong he bolted, leaving shortly after, leaving Tooth worried and confused.

Now she just wondered what she did wrong.

"Something Sera said is botherin' me," Bunny mumbled, almost to himself, but loud enough the others still heard.

"Many things that woman said bother me," North snipped, still gazing out the window.

"Too true, mate. But I mean what she said about Jack. It’s made me think…aside from him bein' a right pain, what do we know 'bout him?"

That drew everyone's attention. North and Tooth dropped guilty gazes. Neither had seen anything of Jack prior to his inclusion to the Guardians. Sandy, on the other hand, having jolted fully awake at the question, waved his hand frantically to get their attention. He signed a snowflake, dolphins, two figures sitting side by side with arms slung over each shoulder, indicating that he knew Jack before the battle.

"Yeah, but do ya know anything 'bout his life?"

Sandy pursed his lips, maybe in thought or pouting, and shook his head sadly. He signed a snowflake and held his hands a small distant apart. He didn't know Jack very long. They'd only had a few short encounters together.

"Right, so we know next ta nothin' bout' him." There was a sad, collective nod.

"So, how do we fix it?"

"You want to fix it?" Tooth asked, giving Bunny a playful look.

"So what? I'm gonna spend the rest of eternity with the brat.  I wanna know 'bout him."  He crossed his arms, defensively, and dared them to try any further mockery.

"You sure it was not because tall, pretty, scary woman told you to?" North put in.

"Focus!" He groaned with an eye roll.

"We could ask him." Tooth suggested.

"Tooth, kid's not gonna spill anything 'bout his life ‘cause we ask. I know that much 'bout him," Bunny countered with a snort.

"Perhaps if we all tell stories, Jack will be more open," North added.

Tooth and Sandy perked at the idea, while Bunny deflated. They were going to do what now?

"What? No, no no no no," he protested.

"Aster, this was your idea," Tooth sang, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Bunny grumbled and pulled at his ears. What had he gotten himself into?


	5. Chapter 5

_1792_

Jack was just eighty years old when he met one of the darker powers of the world.

He was sitting just at the outskirts of the village of Burgess, his lake in sight, waiting for Sandy. Even though he was bitter about his experience with the Guardians – so high and mighty they couldn't even give him the time of day; always just sending their lackeys to deal with him—Jack didn't stop his meets with the Sandman.  He was the only spirit Jack could call a friend, aside from his mother, but she didn't count, that would be too pathetic, so he couldn't bear to miss a meet, Guardian or no. 

And his attempts to get in the workshop were still high on his agenda, because he was going to get in there, failure was not an option.  It was a matter of principle.

So, there he was, sitting perched on a tree limb waiting. And then he saw the shadow out of the corner of his eye.

He felt it long before he saw it.  The feeling of overwhelming dread had been hovering over him since the moment he arrived. But the shadow, whatever it was, only really drew his notice when it moved.

He snapped to attention when he caught the movement. He jumped off his perch, staff at the ready as he circled the tree, searching for the threat. It was, of course a threat. There was nothing else it could be. Nothing ever sought him out – snuck up on him—unless it meant harm.

"My, my, paranoid, aren't we?" A silky, voice called from the shadows. It reminded him somewhat of Sera's, except for the mocking and slimy tone that coated every word. "Life hasn't been treating you so well, has it?"

"Who's there?" he called, wondering how this spirit seemed to know what he was thinking. No one could know that, could they? "Where are you?"

The deep chuckle he got in response sent the hairs on the back of his neck straight up. The laugh was full of malice where any laugh should have been filled with joy and light. He didn't like this; he couldn't see the man, he couldn't protect himself if he couldn't see the threat. Where was he?!

"Now, now; no need to fret. I'm right here."

The voice was right behind him, hot breathe on the back of his neck sending a shiver down his spine. He whirled around, nearly smacking the butt of his staff into a grey face. The man staring him down was a spirit of shadows.  They surrounded him, made up his clothes and hair that was slicked over his head, even swam beneath his skin. But other than a shadow spirit, Jack couldn't quite tell what he was. He was tall, looming over Jack and that alone set the winter boy on edge. That, along with the sharp smile – full of uneven, very sharp teeth – and the way the man seemed intent on invading his personal space, had Jack in a near panic.

"Hello there," he said softly, smile growing even larger.

"Who are you?" Jack managed to question through his suddenly dry throat.

"You don't know?" And the man looked legitimately surprised by the fact.

"I wouldn't ask if I did, would I?"

The shadow man tsked in disapproval at Jack's tone as he circled the smaller spirit. Jack turned to keep eyes on him at all times, keeping his staff up and trained on the man.

"I'm just offended. They never told you about me?"

"Who?"

"Why, your parents. Your mother, in particular."

"You know mom?" He asked, and immediately cursed himself. There was no way to know if this man really knew his mom; he could have just been spitting out mentions of his parent figure to throw Jack off his guard.

"Oh yes, Sera and I know each other quite well."

"She's never mentioned you," he protested, latching onto that fact. The man already proven that he could read Jack's thoughts on some level.  He could have easily picked out Sera’s name with those methods.

"Maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked.  We had a bit of a falling out some years ago.  She really hasn't mentioned me?"  He almost sounded hurt now, and the repeated question was grating on Jack’s nerves.

"No. Why would she? Who are you?!"

He got that same chuckle again. It was really making Jack angry. He turned to keep the man in sight and then the dark spirit was suddenly nose to nose with Jack, who gave a start at the proximity.

"I, my dear boy, am Pitch Black. The Boogeyman."

Oh. That Jack recognized, and it put a check very solidly in his 'not good' column. He didn't think the Boogeyman could cause him much harm, and even if he could, Jack was pretty sure he could take him.  But the idea of a spirit whose goal in life was to dish out fear grated at Jack’s instincts.  He tried to subtly edge away and get some distance from the man.

"You scare the kids," he accused.

"Yes, I do. So they did tell you of me. Very rude to lie to your elders, you know," the Boogeyman scolded, looking far too amused for the reprimanding expression to be taken seriously.

"I've heard of you; the kids talk about you."

"Then your father hasn't mentioned me, at all?" Silver-gold eyes honed in on Jack when the boy bristled at the mention of his 'father'.

"I've had such an influence on both of their lives, you'd think at least one of them would have said something," he murmured, returning to his circling.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack growled, defensive anger raising.

"I'll admit that I'm not too surprised Sera hasn't talked about me, it was a rather nasty confrontation we had last I saw her; but I thought Lunar at least would have warned you."

"He's not my dad!"

"Oh? So you think of Sera as a parent, but not him?"

"At least she gives me the time of day; unlike him or his Guardians," Jack grumbled unhappily.

Talking about the Guardians always made him grouchy.  It was why he tried to avoid the topic, at all times.

The shadow spirit hummed in approval as he circled, and the sound made Jack's skin crawl. The last thing he wanted was to agree with this man, on any level.

"The Guardians have been treating you poorly, have they?"

"I respect what they do on a whole, but I don't like the way they treat other spirits."

"That doesn't answer my question, Jack."

"I don't want to answer your question." Yeah, that wiped that ugly smile off his face, Jack thought smugly.  "Look, I don't know what you want, and I don't care. So just get out of my home." He turned on his heels and moved away in dismissal.

That was went pretty high on the list of the weirdest meeting he'd had with other spirits. Not quiet to the top, the mini fairy climbing into his mouth held that spot, but still pretty high. He'd defiantly have to ask mom how this 'Pitch Black' knew her, and—wait.

"How do you know my name?" He questioned as he turned back to look at the man.

And once again found said shadowy man greatly invading his personal space—their noses were actually touching, this time.

"Don't you turn away from me," the dark spirit growled, and Jack could feel the first stirring of real fear building in his chest as Pitch advanced him.

"As for you question; I know everything about you. I was there when you were born." Jack's back struck a tree in his retreat, and if possible, Pitch invaded his space even more, "just out of the moonlight, in the darkness."

Jack cowered, much as he hated to admit it, deeply frightened. This was too close, to confined. He couldn't lift his staff, and if he couldn't move his staff he could defend himself and if he couldn't—

Pitch moved even close – how could he possibly be that close?—and reached forward, moving a spike of his hair from Jack’s forehead. He smiled and Jack decided that he really, really didn't like that smile.

"And everything of the darkness belongs to me," he finished, reaching forward again, this time aiming for Jack's cheek.

Jack would have handled it, he was sure. Even if he was frozen in a type of terror he couldn't place, he would have handled it. But before he could do anything – be it to reply or slap the hand away – a whip wrapped around the reaching grey wrist and yanked the rest of the body upward. The cry of surprise that Pitch let out was enough to snap Jack out his paralysis and he let out a shaky laugh. Sandy shook the shadow spirit around a bit, gave him a good, and silent, scolding and dropped the taller spirit to the ground, where he promptly slunk back into the shadows.

Jack took several deep, calming breaths, trying to slow his speeding heart. By the time Sandy glided down to him, his heart stopped trying to jump out of his chest, but he couldn't quite stop the tremors that shook his limbs. The dream spirit gave Jack on concerned look, putting a gentle hand on the younger's shoulder. Jack jumped at the contact, looking up at Sandy in surprise.

"Oh, hey. Thanks, Sandy, thanks for that."

Sandy grew more and more concerned as Jack stumbled over his words. The shoulder under his hand all but vibrated. He drew Jack's gaze, giving the boy a questioning look. 'Are you alright?'

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. I just….I've got to go. Yeah thanks Sandy, but….. I need to go."

With that Jack took to the air, leaving a very worried and confused Sandman.

Jack didn't put much thought into where he was going as long as it was away and to safety. Luckily, the Wind knew him very well, and dropped him in the safest place they knew.  He held his staff tightly to his chest as his legs mechanically took him deeper into the trees of the Amazon.  The scent of decaying foliage and wet dirt soothed some of his nerves, but he didn’t uncurl from his huddle over his staff until he caught sight of the slim figure nestled in the trees to his left.

"Jack?" Sera called. "What is it? What's wrong?"

In reply he stumbled forward, and wrapped his arms around Sera's waist and buried his face into her chest. Sera looked down at him in shock; he hadn't thrown himself in her arms since the first night they met, as he'd declared himself much too mature and self-sufficient for such things. What had shaken him so that he reacts in such a way?

Pushing the thought aside for later, she wrapped her own arms around him.  His shoulder shook and she felt the tell-tale dampness of tears soak into the front of her dress. She rocked and shushed him, holding him tight until his trembling stopped.

"Now, tell me what happened."

Jack took a deep, calming breath and nodded.  She kept an arm around his shoulders and settled him into a lounging position as he gave her a quick rundown of his encounter with Pitch.

"He didn't really do anything, but I just…." The back of his neck burned with embarrassment and he wiped away the tear stains on his cheeks.  Now that he was away from the lake, his earlier reaction seemed a bit out of proportion and childish.

"It's all right dear.  He tends to have that effect, especially in the first meeting," Sera assured, patting his knee.

"So you do know him."

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you ever tell me about him?"

"Because I though, falsely it seems, that I'd made it clear he was to stay away from you. Apparently I have to beat that idea into his thick skull to get the point across."

Jack hid a smile at the image. Sera’s wrath was a force to be reckoned with. He almost pitied Pitch right about now. 

His smile slid away.

"How do you know him?"

Sera hesitated, looking deep in thought.

"We are….of the same Age. The Golden Age."

"Will you tell me?" He asked hopefully. Sera had only ever vaguely mentioned this wonderful Age that she'd come from, and it made Jack all the more curious with its rarity.

"Another time. I promise," she added at Jack crestfallen expression.

"Right now we have a much more important conversation," she explained, moving to crouch in front of Jack and take his hands in her own. "I left you very vulnerable by not explaining the darker things in the world.  I'd hoped that I could keep you away from them, and I suppose that was an oversight on my part.   I can't expect you to be at my side at all times, after all.”

“You sure try,” he muttered.

“Don’t give me lip.  I’m trying to teach you important life lessons here.”  She grinned, and Jack let out a huff of laughter.  She sobered and tilted Jack’s chin so their eyes met.  "Jack, I need you to understand something.  Monsters are real. There are things in the dark, and they will hurt you, even kill you, given the chance.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear; I wish I didn't have to tell you. But you need to know it. However, you also need to know that you do have power over them," she added, and Jack's frightened expression lightened. "They can't get to you unless you let them. Unless you're too afraid to stop them.

"Now there's nothing wrong with being afraid; it's only wrong if you let it take over. And the choice not to give into fear, that's your power. That's what you have over all the monsters in the dark. And as long as you remember that, they can't hurt you," she promised, patting his hands with a soft smile.

Jack nodded, slowly and seriously.  “Not bad for a life lesson.”

“Damn right.”  She gave him a gentle flick on the nose, and he laughed.

#

Jack was headed for Burgess when he saw the lights and he sighed in annoyance.  He'd wanted to visit Jamie. (and maybe, on some very small, insignificant level, make sure the boy still believed in him. Maybe).  Then worry quickly replaced annoyance.

They'd had a meeting only a few days ago, why would they be called back so soon? Dread pooling in his gut as he feared the worst, feared another attack by Pitch, and he zipped to the Pole. He nearly crashed through the window in his haste when he got to the workshop, jumping to a battle stance he looked to the elder Guardians, who eyed him in amusement.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked as he looked around frantic for threats.

"Nothin', kiddo. Nothin's wrong," Bunny assured as he moved forward and put a steadying paw on the younger spirit's shoulder.

"But… the lights," Jack protested, still worried.

"Yeah, those aren' always fer emergencies."

"But they're called the emergency lights!"

"Yeah, I know, we gotta get a better way ta call each other," Bunny agreed.

"So….there isn't an emergency?" Jack asked cautiously.

"No," Bunny affirmed and Jack let out a loud sigh of relief.

Then he socked the rabbit spirit in the arm.

"I was on the way to see Jamie!" he complained.

"Sorry, kiddo. It's not an emergency, but it's still important."

"What is it?" Jack pushed, still grumpy about being called for a non-world-threatening reason when he was about to check on his first believer.

"We know nothing about new member, so we all share stories and learn," North declared with his normal enthusiasm.

Jack just stared at him in disbelief and then turned his look to the others. Sandy looked just as excited – of course, he was always excited about these things. Tooth looked nervous as well as thrilled and Bunny looked about as happy as Jack was with the situation.

"You called me here for bonding time?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes," Bunny confirmed, sling an arm over Jack's shoulder. "And if I have ta suffer through this, so do you."

"Since when are we suffer buddies?"

"Since they decided ta drag me into this. Now suck it up."

Jack gave a snorted laugh and let Bunny steer him away to follow the others. Rather than the globe room, which Jack though was their primary place for these meetings, they filed into what looked like a lounge, settling into the plush seating. Then they lapsed into an awkward silence.

"So, who want's ta start?" Bunny prodded.

Yeah, Jack was so not volunteering for that. Sandy, on the other hand, was more than willing. He waved his hand excitedly, a smile a mile wide on his face. Sandy was a great first choice; his story was as much a guessing game as it was a tale. The pictures depicted flashes of what Jack identified as the Golden Age – what do you know, Sandy and mom were the same age!—a war with figures Jack didn't recognize (Fearlings, Bunny supplied) and a crash landing on Earth when the Golden Age came crashing down.

North went next, just as eager. He told an animated story of how he joined the Guardians, with light tidbits from his past. And whoa.

What really shock Jack the most –which when he thought about it really should have been the fact that Santa was an ex-bandit—was that North was the youngest of the four original Guardians, only a few centuries older than Jack himself. He would not have called that one.

When it came time for Bunny and Tooth to share, they were much more reluctant to speak and sparse on the details when they did. Jack had the distinct feeling that they both had very hard, very devastating times in their pasts. They gave small descriptions on how they joined the team and how they came into their jobs. But other than that, they didn't tell much of anything. 

There was, however, one detail from Bunny’s story that Jack latched onto like a leech.

“So you’re from another planet?  Like an alien?”

“Ya didn’t think that giant talking rabbits were actually indigenous to this planet, did ya?”  Bunny snorted.

He took a quick gulp of eggnog and when he looked back to pester Jack to share his own histroy, the kid was less than a nose length away, staring at him intently.  The rabbit spirit jumped, and squeak.  Damn it all to hell, that really was a family trait—blood relation not required.  It was starting to get on his nerves.

While Bunny was trying to get his heart rate under control, and reign in the embarrassment of being caught by surprise again (his hearing was supposed to be without equal, damn it!  Nothing was supposed to sneak up on him) a grin spread across Jack’s face.

“Tell me everything,’ Jack demanded.  He took a deep breath and continued in a rush, “What was it like there?  Is everything underground like the Warren?  If it is, does that mean the surface is baked by the sun?  Is there no atmosphere, is that why you live underground?  Why’d you come to Earth?  Are there others with you?  Where are they?  Can you do cool alien things like talk to each other with your minds?  Are all the rabbits on Earth your decedents?  Are all Australian people?  Do you have a third eye?  Does this mean that there’re people on Mars too?  Come on, man.  Detail, details!”

Somehow, he’d managed the entire spiel in one breath, and now stared at Bunny eagerly while he caught his breath.

Bunny blinked at him blankly.

“Ah, what?”

Tooth snorted in laughter.  “I’m sorry,” she said when the boys looked to stare at her.  “It’s just so cute.”

“So where’s the third eye?  Let me see.”  The kid started prodding Bunny’s forehead.

“Rack off!”

“Then show me the third eye!”

“There is no third eye.”  Bunny smacked the prodding hand away, and scowled at the laughter from the rest of the group.

“Oh.  Bummer.”  Jack sighed, and his shoulders dropped in disappointment.

“There are four more arms, though.”

“NORTH!”

“Really?  Cool!”

Jack’s excited shout mingled with Bunny’s indignation.  The prodding started again, and Bunny squirmed away.

“Lemme see!  Where do you hide them?  How does that even work?”  

“I’m not gonna show ya, so knock it off.”  He smacked the hands away again.  Jack back away, but he was still smiling like a kid who got a new bike for Christmas.

“Give him enough chocolate though—“

“North!  Don’t even think about,” he snapped when Jack grinned in a way that said he was thinking of all the ways that he could sneak Bunny that chocolate.  “We’re gettin’ off topic here.”

“I thought the point of this was to learn stuff about each other.  This is what I want to know.”

Bunny huffed, and the others once again laughed at his misfortune.

“Fine!  I will answer three of yer inane questions, and that’s it.  Then ya spill yer own beans, got it?”

Jack nodded, and then screwed his face up in intense concentration.  What were the most pressing alien questions that he wanted answered?

First off: “Can I see you with six arms?”

“No!”  Jack gave him a pout, and Bunny rubbed at the headache that was building up behind his eyes.  “I don’ have the best frame of mind like that, and it can be dangerous.  So no sneakin’ me chocolate, got it?”

Jack still looked disappointed, and unconvinced, but he didn’t push anymore.  He thought hard for another minute, and then decided on his next question.

“Are all rabbits descended from you?”

“No.”  Bunny shook his head with an amused smile.

“You sure?”

“Do ya really want that ta be yer last question?”

Jack huffed.  Then, after another moment of thought,

“What’s it like where you’re from?”

The annoyed but amused look on Bunny’s face dropped in an instant, and he suddenly looked like he was barely keeping back tears.  Jack was about to take the question back (and maybe going with his question of mind reading) when Bunny took a breath to answer.

“It was beautiful.  I did model the Warren after it, but… it doesn’t really compare.  There aren’t really words to describe it.”  He paused.  “There were rolling green hills as far as the eye could see.  Plants that glimmered like jewels.  It was,” he trailed off again.

Jack reached out and awkwardly patted the giant rabbit’s shoulder.

“That sounds like a great place, Bunny.”

The elder spirit nodded, and squeezed the hand on his shoulder. 

“Okay, yer turn.”

Right, yeah.   Okay, he could do this. Calming breath, he could do this.  If Bunny could talk about something that was obviously so painful, Jack could share his past.

"Okay. I don't….. really remember much from my past. My human memories are still kind of fuzzy," Jack started shakily.

"Just start with the things you remember most, honey," Tooth prompted.

What he remembered the most. His sister! Yeah, with her beautiful brown hair and eyes and the bright smile.

 The terror in her eyes as the ice cracked under her feet. And getting her off and the ice cracking and falling and the cold and he couldn't breathe he could move he was scared he was going to die—

"Tell us why Sera's yer mum," Bunny demanded, snapping Jack back to reality.

"Bunny!" Tooth reprimanded.

"What?  I’m curious."

Jack gave a laugh and took a deep breath. Okay, that he could do.

"She, she was the first spirit I ever met. And… she was always there for me. Whether I wanted her or not, and she was always watching over me. She just, she's always felt like a mom.

"Not like my mom," Jack said with a laugh. "My mom was… soft. Kind, and even tempered, and sweet. She was really pretty," Jack added, voice far away. He blinked and smiled sheepishly.

"Not to say that Sera isn't pretty: she is. You know, in the way that moms are pretty," Jack added, earning a chuckle from the room. "But Sera is…loud. And strong willed. And were very easily angered; and very scary when she's angry. So yeah, she and my mom are polar opposites," Jack concluded with a laugh before he trailed off again.

"What 'bout the rest of yer family," Bunny pressed, following Tooth's example and earning an appreciated look from said Fairy. "Yer dad—"

"I didn't see much of him. I don't think he was there that much."

That got a coo of pity from Tooth put Jack was too far in his memories to pay it mind. A warm smile spread over his face.

"I had a little sister.  I don't remember any names but she," he let out a laugh as he lost his train of thought, turning to his audience how gave him their full attention. "I remember the day she was born – weird that I remember that, out of everything about her, huh? I was five when she was born, and naturally I vowed to hate her guts from the moment she came into the world. After all, she was taking attention from me from my parents. Five year old logic," he explained to the stares he received.

"But, the minute I held her, I knew I could never let anything happen to her. She was such a tiny little thing that fit so easy in my arms, and she needed me to protect her. I think, even then I, knew that I would die for her…"

"Jack?" Bunny asked in concern as the boy trailed off once more, looking more sad and haunted than reminiscent.

Jack snapped out of his memories at gave the rabbit what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile. It came off more shaken than anything else.

"It was the early seventeen hundreds. Hard times, so I had to be real serious real quick," Jack recovered.

"You, serious? Nah," Bunny jibbed, trying to will the boy into explaining more because he knew there was more to it.

All he got was a tongue stuck out at him. And still it was too heavy hearted and haunted than anything Jack normally did. It was concerning.

After that Jack refused to give any more information on his past, no matter how much any one of them prodded him. He would just change the subject and eventually fled, using the excuse 'I still have to see Jamie' as he jumped out the window. Bunny watched him go in concern; something wasn't right.

The four mulled around in the lounge, occasionally attempting conversation. It was becoming a fairly normal activity for them since Jack joined, Bunny noticed. After a good ten minutes of this aimlessness, filled with worry and varying levels of concern and anxiety, Bunny decided it was enough. He marched up to Tooth, pulling her attention away from her thoughts.

"Ya still got the kid's teeth?" He asked.

"Yes," she answered, giving him a look at the odd question.

"Can I see it?"

"I suppose."

She hesitantly handed him the small golden tube. He turned it over in his hands, studying it. Then he looked back up to meet her questioning gaze. She wasn't going to like this.

"Ya can show someone else memories in a box, yeah?"

Her expression went to stone in a heartbeat, "Aster, no."

"But ya can, right?"

"I won't! That is an extreme invasion of privacy."

"We need to know—"

"This is his mind you're talking about invading, Aster! That's, I can't even describe how awful that is!"

"Ya saw his face Toothy! Somethin' happened in his human life, and he won't tell us."

"So your solution is to go trampling around in his brain?! He will never forgive us!"

"Kid can't hold a grudge ta save his life," Bunny snorted.

"That's not the point!"

"Tooth," North interjected, placing a large hand on her tense shoulder. "You know that boy was very bothered by his memories. And he does not trust us enough to tell."

"Any trust he does have in us will be destroyed by this," Tooth protested.

"We cannot help of we don't know problem. Jack is hurting and he will not tell us. You know what bottling up hurt can do, da?"

Tooth deflated with a heavy sigh. "Yes," she whispered.

They’d all seen it, when a spirit went through some kind of terrible trauma.  Unless they had help, the spirits almost always went insane.  They became terrible monsters, the kind that humans could see.  The kind that became demons.

Obviously following her train of thought, Bunny spoke up.  “If we don’t help him, we’ll lose him.  The kid’s so stubborn, he’ll be gone before he even knows to ask for help.”

She sighed and took the box back from Bunny, looking at it sadly. She studied the face, Jack's face. What happened in his life that hurt him so? She had seen the pain, and though human life was far from perfect, it was far from terrible enough to cause such deep pain. Something truly tragic had to have happened.

"Everyone needs to touch the case," she whispered, head bowed.  The others slowly moved forward.

"We're doing the right thing, Toothy," Aster promised as he placed a finger on the tube.

"I don't know if we are."

She looked up, making sure everyone was in contact with the box. She met Sandy's reassuring look, turned to North's sympathetic gaze and to Bunny's confident stare and sighed. No going back now.

"It will be confusing; like watching a movie but experiencing everything Jack did as well. His memories will conflict with yours for some time after, and it will be disorienting. Does everyone understand?" She explained, offering one final way out.

When she got understanding nods, she sighed once more, accepting. Here we go, she thought, and drew here finger along the diamond pattern on the surface. And their world dissolved into the past.


	6. Chapter 6

The wind howled, rattling the window and blowing so strong that it felt as if the very cottage would be blown away. The breeze sent icy chills through the room, shrieking all the while.

 It was the first big storm of the winter, dumping ice and snow across the land by the bucket load. Storms such as these weren’t anything that the small settlement wasn't used to, but it still wasn't overly pleasant. And it certainly wasn't the best condition to bring a child into the world.

Yet here she was.

Abigail Overland had wanted to be a mother almost all her life. Ever since she was a child herself, the eldest of twelve children, looking at the perfect, tiny faces of her brothers and sisters, she wanted a child of her own.  She wanted to hold a child and know it was hers.   And when she was grown, and she met her husband, she wanted a child that was theirs, the perfect mix of the two of them. A living embodiment of the love she shared with the man who was the light of her life.

She was thrilled when she saw the signs of her pregnancy.  She took care of herself and her precious bundle through the months that she watched her belly grow. Stayed off her feet, ate well, and relaxed. Relaxed to the point she thought it would kill her if she relaxed even a second more. But she'd made it through, and now she was at the most crucial point.

And it wasn't quite what she imagined.

Giving birth was the greatest gift in the world. It was a thing of beauty, bringing forth new life. But it was also very difficult, and exhausting.  And painful.  So Abigail wasn't in the best of moods as she lay there on her back, trembling in the frozen air as she tried to push her first child out of her.  It hurt terribly, everywhere, and she had been at this for hours, and she was exhausted and if that bitch of a midwife told her to breathe and push one more time she was going to rip the old woman's lungs from her chest!

Said old woman moved from her kneeled position between Abigail's knees to dab her damp forehead.

"Deep breaths, Goody Overland," she reminded.

Any thought of lung removal for the comment flew from the younger woman's mind as a rolling wave of pain bloomed from her lower belly. She tangled the sheets below her through her fingers in an attempt to quell the pain as she cried out, spine and legs tensed against the agony. And the constant instruction was suddenly very appreciated, as Abigail could not for the life of her remember how to breathe properly.

"Will. Will," she repeated in a gasp, glancing around the room to confirm that her husband was not in the room.

"Where's Will?"

"Your husband step out at your request," the elder informed, moving to retrieve a fresh bowl of water. "Or, more accurately, you told him to 'get out, you miserable bastard'. Then you threatened to rip his cock from his body and stuff it down his throat for putting you in this state. He came very near to fainting after that; I thought it best for him to leave. Such stress is very dangerous during this time. And to be honest, I'm in no mood to step over your husband's unconscious body while I work," she added with a chuckle.

The midwife paused at the sound of rapid breathing, glanced over her shoulder and rushed back when the younger woman thrashed on the bed in an utter panic. She placed a hand on her warm forehead for comfort while the other rested on the heaving chest. The woman's dilated eyes darted about the room in a panic, and her heart pounded like a bird's beneath the elder's hand. Ignoring the warnings to calm down and sit still, Abigail moved to push herself up.

She was hurting, it hurt so much and she could feel the sheets below her slick with blood and she was frightened. She needed her husband, her other half, and she needed him now, even if she had to drag him inside by his hair.  As soon as she sat up, Abigail was shoved back to the bed by the deceptively strong old woman.

"Goody Overland, you need to lie back."

"Will. I need Will. I can't do this, I need my Will!"

Another pained yell followed her desperate declaration and had her collapsing onto the mattress. The midwife kept her hold on Abigail's shoulders strong, forcing her to stay put on the bed, giving the younger woman a drilling stare until their gazes met.

"Your child is ready to join us. There's no time," she pressed over the woman's panicked pleas.

"I need Will, I need Will here I need my husband!"

Hysteria was something the midwife was well used to in first time mothers; giving birth wasn't all the roses that it was often made out to be, and the shock made the experience terrifying. Normally she would be gentle, understanding.  She’d allow the husbands to assist, and nurture the women through the pain and fear and ease the children into life. But unfortunately, there was no room for that now. Abigail's labor had been a long, difficult birthing and the young mother was losing blood, too much, too fast. If the child wasn't born soon, both it and its mother would die. She couldn't afford to waste time to usher the expecting father inside and then work to keep both him and his wife calm.

"Goody Overland. Abigail!" she shouted, giving the woman a good shake. It did the trick and fogged, panicked brown eyes focused on her.

"Your child is in danger. It must be born, now. You are about to become a mother!" she snapped when Abigail only continued the babble. "Your child is depending on you, and if you cannot be strong you are not fit to be a mother!"

Harsh? Yes, but effective. Abigail stared for a moment, blinked. Then she nodded, resolved despite her trembling bottom lip.

"There's a girl," the midwife encouraged, giving quaking shoulders a pat before kneeling down to deliver the young woman's baby.

"All right Abigail: push."

X

William paced outside, wearing a ditch in the growing snow in front of his door. The shock of the cold had done him good at first, cleared his head, but now he was numb to it – probably not a good sign, now that he thought of it—and his mind raced. His first child was being born inside, and he wasn't allowed to be there to witness it.

He hadn't been concerned when Abby demanded he leave; she was in pain and they'd both agreed early on that he couldn't let anything she said hurt him. But then the midwife told him to do the same, and that frightened him. Wasn't he supposed to be in the room? Every father he'd spoken to confirmed as much. Why wasn't he inside? What was happening? He had to be in there!

He snapped back from near insanity when the door swung open. The midwife stood in the door way, hands folded across her belly, watching him pace with a look that made him feel like an idiot. She gave him a stern look when he surged forward, questions flying. He quickly quieted under the look, and tried not to feel ridiculous.

"She did well, but she's exhausted. I'm only giving you a few minutes," she warned, all but completely ignored as the man rushed inside.

She sighed in annoyance and followed the man inside. New fathers, she thought with a scoff, just as bad as the mothers. She slapped a restraining hand to his arm when he reached the room with his wife.

"Exhausted," she remained, making sure he understood

"Only a few minutes, I understand," he affirmed, hesitating at the door. "The baby?"

The woman only rolled her eyes and pushed him forward. First she couldn't keep him out, now she practically had to shove him inside.  Honestly.

The man came to a stuttering halt that even her steely push couldn't move. His mouth gapped as he gazed at the bed, where his wife sat cradling a small bundle. The midwife gave him a good pat on the back, giving an amused smirk at the young man's utterly awestruck expression.

"Congratulations, Goodman Overland. You have a healthy baby boy."

"A boy…."

The old woman couldn't help the warm smile that replaced the smirk on her wrinkled face as William stumbled forward, kneeling at his wife's side, his face a glow. The sight never failed to warm her, no matter how annoyed she was at all the frantic blubbering. It was sweetly beautiful to see a newly forged family, together for the first time.

"I want her sleeping before I make it home," she warned, still smiling even as neither parent so much as glanced at her, awed by the sleeping face of their child.

"Best of luck to you both: the boy's going to be a handful, I can tell already."

"Thank you," Abigail whispered tiredly.

The woman smiled with a nod and toddled off into the biting storm, leaving the two with their new son. Truly, it never got old.

"Abby," he whispered, placing a hand on his son's small head and wrapping the other arm around his wife's shoulders.

His hand looked so large on the tiny head, resting on the full head of brown hair, clearly a trait from Abby. For a moment, he was terrified. The baby was so fragile. What if he broke him, held him wrong and broke him. Such a precious, wonderful life in his hands.

And it was all theirs, he reminded himself with a smile, banishing the frightened thoughts.

"Look at what we made," she whispered back, voicing his thoughts.

She was close tears as she shuffled her bundle to better see that tiny, beautiful face. He was worth it, all the pain and waiting. He was worth it all, and more.

"Perfect. He's perfect," William declared, placing a kiss first on the sleeping infant and then to his wife's lips.

After forty-two weeks, ten hours and thirty two minutes of waiting, on the twenty first of December, 1698, Jackson William Overland finally came into the world.

#

The old midwife was nothing if not perceptive; Jackson certainly was a handful. From the moment he could walk – or rather, when he skipped walking and went straight into running – the little boy was a hellion. He was still a perfect in the eyes of his parents, and they loved him more than anything. But he was an energetic lovable little thing that drove his parents to exhaustion with the energy that he apparently had in spades.

One of his favorite pass times was running full speed through the tiny village screaming at the top of his lungs. Much like he was now. But, to be fair, this time around was in a merry chase of his two new friends.

Abigail watched with a smile as the three five-year olds raced about, showing no sign as slowing. Ah, the vigor of youth.

Her son's new found playmates were just the right age for him: twins, both just a few months older than Jack. She snorted when Jack leaped at the two and the dragged them to the ground. She shook her head as the three ended up rolling in the mud, still laughing like mad men and glanced to the only road leading to their town. She sighed, running a hand through her shortened hair.

 Will had been on the road for three months now, trading goods with the settlements on the coast, and winter was on its way.  His absence was beginning to concern her.

The town had come across hard times in recent years, the limited trade coming to a near halt, leaving their small economy floundering. Hoping to expand the village's resources and to provide more for their growing son, Will brought his production of wool from their flock into the business of trade. It was a sensible decision, one she agreed with fully. But it didn't make his long absences any easier, on her or on Jack.

She sighed again and turned her gaze back to her son. She took a pre-reprimanding breath to order the boy to stop rolling in the mud like a pig when the clop of hooves brought her attention back to the road. There he was, leading his wagon of goods down the road, sun gleaming on his dark hair, amber-brown eyes fixed on their home. He was back.

"Will!" she greeted, rushing to meet him.

The man's eyes lit up at her call. He leapt off and pulled his wife into his arms, lifting her into the air and giving her a passionate kiss. He spun her around, keeping his face buried into her hair, taking in her scent with a smile. When William placed her back on her feet he gave her another sweet kiss. They pulled apart at a shrilled cry.

"Da! Da, Da, DaDaDaDaDa Da!"

The two turned and smiled at the small mud creature rushing them, chanting 'Da!' all the way. The small boy with just a whiff of chocolate hair visible beneath all the mud bounced happily as he reached them with shining eyes and a happy smile. William laughed and crouched down to scoop the tiny body up, twirling around to hear that happy laugh again as Jack clung to his neck.

"Oh look at you!" Doing just that, William held the boy back looking him over. "Yep, you're even filthier than when I left."

"Yes, well, he decided to roll about in the mud," Abigail informed, coming next to the two with a disapproving look.

"Well of course he did."

"I was playing!"

"Were you now?"

"With Charlie and Chris," he informed, waving to his friends. The two waved back and William gaped.

"My, my. They got big," William muttered, staring at the two boys.

He swore last time he saw the two they were just babes trying to learn to crawl. Of course, he thought the same about the mud -covered boy in his arms who, though still so small, just barely fit in his arms.

"They did. So did this one," Abigail agreed.

"Yes he did. And that reminds me; it seems my boy turned five not too long ago." He twirled around again, making Jack squeal with just as much delight. "And we didn't give him much of a party, so…I brought you something."

Jack gave a happy squeak and jumped out of his father's arms. He bounced a circle around the man, clapping and pushing for answers. 'What is it?' 'Where is it?' 'Can I have it now?' He asked over and over as he jumped around.

"Look in the wagon. You'll know it," he promised, letting Jack bolt past him.

William chuckled as he watched the boy go, then turned to meet the worried gazed of his wife. He sighed, understanding the concern. Money was hard to come by, and nothing they made could be spent on gifts but for the most important holidays. And there hadn't been enough for Jack's birthday that year.

"It didn't cost me anything," he assured.

Abigail had only a moment to feel relieved when Jack gave another squeal and bounded back over.

"A puppy! Mommy, Da got me a puppy!"

"I see that," she assured, looking from the gleeful five year old to William with a tight smile, just a step from angry.

William gave a nervous smile in return, then crouched down to meet Jack's eyes. He could deal with his the wrath of his wife later, gladly so, just to see the utter joy in those big brown eyes as his boy cradle the little ball of matted fur that wiggled happily in his arms.

"It was amazing," he said in a conspiring whisper, "There he was, on the road to New York, facing off valiantly against a hoard of tigers."

Jack gasped dramatically, clutching the little puppy tightly to his chest. He looked down at the pup in wonder then back to his father, tiny brows furrowed.

"What are tigers, Da?"

"Really big cats," he informed dramatically, barely holding back a laugh when the boy's eyes all but bulged out of his head. "And when they attacked my wagon he jumped to my defense. And he chased them off back to the dark from whence they came."

"Brave puppy," Jack whispered in awe, heart swelling when the little puppy gave his cheek a lick. "Charlie, Chris, I gotta a brave puppy!" He called darting back to his friends.

William chuckled and rose back to his feet, happily watching the child for a time. The smile slipped off his face in a wince when he met Abigail's gaze.

"Tigers?" she questioned, eyebrow raised and arms crossed, amused yet still disapproving.

"I heard a few oversea trades' men mention them. Thought it would add some spice. It was half dead on the side of the road," he admitted when she only continued to stare. "I couldn't just leave it there. All it needed was a bit of food and warmth, and it was good as new."

Abigail's cold stare melted and she grasped his hand. Really, her husband; always letting his heart think before his mind.

"Will, you have…. The biggest heart of anyone I know, and I love you for that. I do. But we can't afford a dog," she declared with some hesitation.

"He's a Border Collie. That breed produces wonderful sheep dogs. He'll pull his weight."

"And until then all we have is a defenseless animal that will need supplies we can't spare."

"We can make it work."

"How?"

"I can, I'll work longer into the season to bring more food home."

"You're not spending that much time away.”  Anger slowly colored her voice.

"If I can barter for a passel of pigs, maybe some fowls, along with our sheep our income will—"

"You're hardly here as it is, William!" She snapped, cutting him off. "You’re gone for months at a time and you are not leaving for longer for a dog!"

"You can see how much he already loves it!"

"Which is why you shouldn't have brought it for him in the first place! Now he'll just be heartbroken when we—"

"We can't leave him all by himself."

The tiny voice to the side brought the argument to a halt. Jack stood holding his puppy against his chest, lip trembling. He didn't like his parents yelling. He was proudly showing off his brave little puppy when he heard them and wandered back over.

Mommy was worried and upset and then Da was grumpy and now they were both angry. He hated when his parents were mad, especially when they were mad at each other. Their anger dug nails into his forehead and they were going to get rid of his puppy and he did not like it, any of it! He bit his bottom lip to stop its shaking and looked to his mother, big eyes gleaming and pitiful.

His parents’ anger melted to soft sorrow and pity and it made him feel just a little better.

"Mommy, the tigers could still be out there." That had Mommy throwing a mean look at Da and there was more anger digging into his head. Biting back a whimper, he pushed on. "And he'll be all alone and cats hate doggies Mommy! We have to keep him safe!"

"Honey…"

"I'll take care of him," Jack insisted, "He'll be my puppy. I'll be good with him and love him, just please don't make me get rid of Tiger Hunter!"

"Tiger Hunter?" Abigail asked, amused, saddened and annoyed.

"That's what I wanna call him," Jack told her quietly, looking up at her with the saddest of eyes.

"Tiger Hunter the sheep dog. I like it," William declared, earning a stern look from Abigail.

The look melted away when Jack sniffled, close to full blown sobs. Please, please, please, Mommy. I love him already, he thought sorrowfully.

Abigail slumped with a sigh, running a hand through Jack's thick brown hair and looking down at the small white and black pup in his arms. It was difficult not to love the little puff of fur, she had to admit; it was a cute little thing.

"Well," she sighed, "you'd better go get Tiger Hunter cleaned up."

"Really Mommy?" He asked hopefully, instantly perking up.

"Yeah, go take him out to the well. And clean yourself up too, young man," she added firmly.

"Yes Mommy. Thank you!"

Smiling as Jack bounded off, Abigail turned back to her husband. She slumped to her William's side with a sigh, flicker of anger well extinguished by Jack's happy squeals about his new pet as he ran.

"I hate it when you make me the bad guy," she complained, earning a chuckle.

"Well one of us has to be and it can't be me. I'm the favorite parent."

Abigail snorted and gave him a playful nudge. Then she drew him back to the conversation with a serious look.

"We'll figure out a way to make it work. One that doesn't involve you being away for so long."

"Abby, I don't like leaving either. But it's the best we can do."

"It was before, but….. things have changed. We need to talk," she explained. He gave her a confused look but didn't resist as she pulled him inside.

Jack splashed the cold water from the well onto his face, glancing down happily at the small black puppy circling his legs. Once he washed the mud off from his clothes and hair, he sat on his knees and let the puppy jump into his lap, gleefully cuddling the little thing, and laughing at the little tongue that tickled his cheeks. Its little white face nuzzling Jack's. This had to be the best day of his life. He got a puppy, made new friends, Da was back and he and Mommy weren't angry anymore. Still worried, but not angry and worry didn't drive nails into his head, so he was fine with it. Things couldn't get much better.

A cool breeze ruffled his hair, making him look up in excitement. A wide smile covered his face when the air around him chilled. The day could get even better! He watched in anticipation as the first flake of snow formed and floated down toward him, only snapping out of his fascination when his mother called for him.

"Snow! Mommy, snow!" He told her excitedly, calling for Tiger Hunter to follow him as he ran to the house. "Snow, Mommy!"

"I see it. Now let's get you inside before you catch a cold," she urged, opening the door enough for the tiny pup to dart inside and pulling Jack in gently by the arm.

Jack strained his neck, keeping his head back to see outside as long as possible. He watched the tiny flake float closer and closer and threw his other hand out to catch it on his finger. He smiled when the little flake melted on the pad of his finger, watching happily as more and more snowflakes decorated the sky.

X

Jack never understood why winter scared people so much. Even his parents were scared, no matter how much they tried to hide it for his sake. They always thought he would be scared too, but really their feelings confused the boy to no end.

Winter was the best time of year. It brought snow –pretty pretty sparkling snow – and Da didn't have to leave. During the fall he was working with the sheep and during the spring and parts of summer he had to leave. But winter he was home. It was months of huddling in their home, the three of them, sitting by the fire while they ate, read, cuddled. What could be scary about that?

Jack sighed happily as they sat at their table by the fire, eating hot stew and trying to sneak bits of meat to Tiger Hunter while Mommy and Da talked while they ate their own food. Hot stew, nice fire, time with his parents; winter was great!

"Jack, stop playing with the dog and eat," Abigail ordered and Jack quickly did so.

Tiger Hunter was getting big. Already the teeny tiny puppy gained three pounds; William and Abigail now had to use their arms to hold the squirming puppy rather than fitting him in the palm of one hand. And it was Jack's intense commitment to his job as a pet owner that had the puppy so healthy. Jack was dedicated and attentive, more so than his parents thought possible for a five-year old over such a long period of time.  And still Jack was just as enraptured with his puppy two months into having it as he was the first day he held it.

His parents were impressed, he could tell. But more than anything they were nervous, and had been since they got Tiger Hunter. And it was starting to make Jack nervous.

"Jack, sweety." Jack looked up, nervous at his mother's tone, "your father and I need to talk to you."

"I didn't do it!" He denied immediately.

"No, Jack honey—"

"The sheep were already like that."

His father all but chocked on the spoonful of stew he had in his mouth. He head snapped around, giving the boy a sharp look.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Jack drawled, avoid William's gaze. "I didn't try to teach them to swim. And get them all muddy," he explained-denied, cracking under the stern gaze.

“That was you?” 

He’d come into the pen to find his head covered head to toe, and he’d been racking his brain for the last eight days trying to figure out how that happened.  William pinched the bridge of his nose, half amused and half exasperated. He sighed and looked back up.

"And why would you do that? If you did," he added to cut off more denial.

"You told me learning to swim was important. So I though it be a good idea to teach them."

"In the middle of winter?" William asked incredulously.

Jack nodded, missing the tone and keeping his head bowed. Abigail gave a snort and William gave a tired sigh.

"That's all you," she told him, earning a playful glare.

"Why do don't you leave swim lessons to me, alright?" He asked through his smile, unable to stay mad.

Jack looked up and gave his father a smile when William grasped his tiny hand.

"But that's not what we wanted to talk about." William gave Jack a look that told him they would be talking about it later.

"Oh. Oops," Jack muttered, smiling sheepishly.

"Jack, come over here honey," Abigail called with a laugh.

Jack jumped down from his chair and made his way over to his mother's sat, glowing as she smiled. William mussed the boy's hair as he went by, to which Jack gave an annoyed whine as he shoved the hand away. But he was still smiling happily when he stood in front of his mother, who took both of his small hands in her own. She was nervous, he noticed, but a happy nervous. He looked up at her in confusion and she beamed back.

"Jack, your father and I, are going have another baby."

Jack's jaw dropped. First a puppy and now a baby? This was the best winter ever! He bounced happily with his hands still in Abigail's, smiling so much his face hurt.

"Where is it? Can I see it now? Is it a brother or a sister?" He asked excitedly.

"We don't know yet, honey."

Jack excited look faded back to confusion. How could they not know if it was going to be a brother or a sister? If they were going to get the baby, shouldn't they know before the got it, to make sure it was the right kind? Babies were hard to find, after all, Jack couldn't remember seeing one in over a year, since their neighbor's baby died. His parents would really want to be sure they got the perfect baby.

Very slowly, Abigail took one of Jack's little hands and gently placed it on her stomach. Jack looked up at her, confused again, and then down at his hand. Under it, Mommy's belly was bulging slightly. Her belly wasn't usually like that, was it?

"What is it?"

"That's the baby."

Jack's eyes zoomed back down to the bulge. What?

"Nuh-uh," he denied, shaking his head to emphasize the point. "It's bump. It's a bump on your tummy."

"Yes and the bump's going to be your little brother or sister," she explained with a laugh.

"But how'd it get in there?" He asked, poking at her stomach. "Did you eat it?" He squeaked, looking back to his mother in horror.

"No, honey. I didn't eat it," she assured, laughing. Her son's mind worked in such a special way.  It was so sweet, and the way his face twisted in confusion was completely adorable.

"Then how'd the baby get in there?"

"Oh, well," she looked almost stricken by the idea of explaining and it made Jack even more confused, "we'll, we'll talk about that when you're a little older."

Jack groaned and let his head flop forward, whining. That was always the answer to his questions. He felt his mother's chuckle from where his head rested on her stomach and giggled at the way it tickled his ear before regaining his frown with resolve. That was an annoying answer, and he was not happy with it.

"You say that about everything," he whined.

"Because you, dear, have questions that are much too big for you."

Jack huffed, closing his eyes as he lay against the small bump. Huh, there was something in there, he realized, opening his eyes to glance at it before closing them again to concentrate on whatever it was that was in there. He could feel the warmth of the small ball nestled in Mommy's tummy against the side of his head, nice and sweet and very much living.

Who would have thought? There was a baby in there.

"Mommy, when's it going to be a baby?" He asked, keeping a hand on the bump-baby. He liked feeling the bump-baby vibrate when Mommy talked. And liked how much the bump-baby liked when Mommy talked.

"We'll have your brother or sister with us in a few months now."

Jack groaned in despair, dropping down onto his butt. His parents tried to swallow back their laughs, and in William's case failed awfully.

"That's forever," he whined, frowning when his parents just laughed at his plight. Didn't they understand how long that was?

"Oh, I know," William agreed, kneeling down by Jack and drawing the five year old into his lap.

Jack momentarily forgot his dejection and twisted around to face his Da so their matching sets of amber-brown eyes met. "Seems like just yesterday we had to wait so long to get you," he continued. "But this gives us time to get ready. You know how much we need to get ready for?" He hummed wisely when Jack shook his head.

"You're going to be a big brother, Jack. Do you know what that means?" Again, Jack shook his head. "Well, it's a big job. You've got to take care of the little one your Mom's bringing us. And you've got to look after your Mom, too," he added. "I have to leave a lot, you know," Jack nodded sadly, uneasy settling in his chest, "and with Tiger Hunter here and this new baby coming too, we'll need more food for them. And I might need to be away more for that."

"But Da," Jack whined. Da had to leave more now?

"I know. Your mom doesn't like it either."

Mommy was angry again. And the nails in his head hurt even more because the bump-baby didn't like Mommy angry any more than Jack did and now the bump-baby was upset. First it made Da go away more and now its feelings and Mommy's were making his head hurt. The bump-baby didn't seem so fun anymore.

"But it's important," William continued, kissing Jack's forehead, chasing some of the pain away. "And I need you to look after them when I'm not here. Can you do that?"

Jack gaped up at his father, blinking owlishly. Da was asking him to take care of Mommy and the bump-baby. To be the man of the house. And he had to be brave for that. Brave boys didn't cry, he told himself, swallowing the lump in his throat and firming his lips.

"I can do it, Da," he promised, straightening his shoulders and puffing his tiny chest out.

William smiled, proud and amused.  He gathered Jack into his arms and rested his face in Jack's hair, looking up to his wife who held the same smile.

"I know you can. My boy."

"Oh, Mommy should lie down. You should lie down, Mommy," he declared, pulling at Abigail's hand to try to pull her up out of her seat. "I'll take care of dinner Mommy, you just lie down."

Abigail laughed merrily as her determined son managed to pull her out of the chair and toward her and William's small room. Once Jack got something in his head, he put all of his effort into achieving his goal, so fighting him was next to impossible. William watched amused for a minute before pulling Jack to a stop.

"How about you let me handle taking care of her while I'm here?" William suggested, earning a shy smile from Jack. "Right now, it's time for you to go to bed," he declared scooping Jack up and tossing the giggling boy over his shoulder. Jack shrieked and laughed, waving goodnight to his mother. Abigail smiled and waved back, gathering the dishes on the table.

The journey to Jack's room from the threshold of his parents' was short. Their home was small, and Jack's room was just across from William and Abigail's. William dropped Jack on the bed gently and the boy laughed happily as he bounced on his small bed. Jack snuggled under the covers as William sat on the bed next to him. William smiled down at his son and ran a hand through Jack's chocolate locks.

"I love you," he told Jack firmly, hand stilling over Jack's hair. It still baffled him, how small his son's head was under his hand. "More than anything, and I want you to know that nothing will ever change that."

"I love you too, Da. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Jack."

He leaned in a placed a kiss on Jack's head and sat there for another minute, gently petting Jack's hair as he fell asleep. Then he helped Tiger Hunter onto the bed where the puppy nestled into the covers at Jack's feet, wagging his little tail to express his joy. He smiled at the pair as he left room, blowing the candle out as he went.

Jack's sleep wasn't restful. He thrashed in his sleep, and quietly cried out his sleep.  When he jolted awake he was weeping heavily.  Even as the nightmare faded from his mind he couldn't stop the tears. He wiped at his damp cheeks as he looked around the room.

He could hear a soft vibrating sound at his feet and he guessed that was what woke him up. Looking down at the foot of his bed he saw the sound was coming from the tiny ball of fur standing defensively over his legs. Tiger Hunter; Tiger Hunter was growling. Sitting up against his pillow, he peeked around the room to see what had his dog so worked up. There was only a limited amount of moonlight dimly lighting the room and he couldn't see much. But as his eyes adjusted to the dark, Jack could make out the silhouette of a slim figure looming over him.

"Da?" He asked hesitantly.

When the figure didn't answer, Jack curled up into a frightened ball. The figure was too tall and too thin to be his father and Tiger Hunter wouldn't have been growling if it was his Da. The puppy growled as loud and threatening as his small body would allow when the figure leaned in closer.

"Can you see me, little one?" The figure asked.

Jack trembled and curled up tighter. The shadow laughed and Jack could see the glint of sharp teeth in the moonlight. Jack whimpered and trembled and tried not to cry. Monster, there was a monster in his room. A monster under his bed, he realized, his blood going cold as his eyes followed the shadow's elongated form to its source.

"Well, isn't that interesting. Do you know who I am?"

Jack could feel breath on his cheek but when he looked up all he could see was a shadowy outline. And a mouth of sharp teeth that smiled down at him. He knew this shadowy thing.

Stories had spread through the village in recent years. Dark stories brought over by the newest settlers. Stories of creatures that lurked in the dark and most prominently of the monster that dwelled under the beds of children and haunted their dreams. Jack let the tears stream down his face as his gaze once again went to the line of shadow streaming from beneath his bed.

"Boogeyman," he whispered in a teary voice, cringing when the shadow laughed.

"Oh I love this New World. Stories of me spread so quickly here."

The smile was getting bigger and sharper as it got closer. It was all Jack could see and the dark only seemed to spread the closer the figure came. Jack cowered against the wall at the head of his bed, trying to disappear.

"Then you know you need to be asleep now, Jack. Go back to sleep," he sang in a whispery voice and Jack could make out the shadowed hand reaching for him.

The shadow gave a yelp before his finger could brush Jack's forehead when, with another tiny growl, Tiger Hunter leapt forward and latched onto the extended arm. Jack felt a brief moment of relief and pride but it died as quickly as it came. Despite his valiant effort the puppy was flung off with a good shake. And with a snarled 'blasted dog!' the shadow man made Tiger Hunter go quiet, the puppy giving a small yelp as he did so. It was enough to snap Jack out of his terror.

"Mommy!" He shouted using as much air as his tiny lungs could hold. He closed his eyes and curled up as tightly as possible, shouting all the while. "Mommy, Mommy! Mommy!"

At the sound of approaching feet outside his door, Jack risked peeking around the room. The shadow outline was gone. He had barely a second to register his relief when his door burst open and lighted flooded the room. His mother rushed forward and gathered the crying boy in her arms while his father stood at in the doorway and scanned the room. Jack huddled into his her chest, comforted by her scent, even while icy chills of his mother’s fear pierced his chest as she held him.

"Baby, what happened?" She asked when he silenced his sobbing.

"Mommy, there was a monster! The Boogeyman's under my bed!" He cried.

Every ounce of tension abruptly left her body and she gave a tired sigh. Jack looked up in confusion when sparks of annoyance jolted through him, frowning when Mommy visualized the feelings with a look to Da. This wasn't something to be annoyed at; it was very real danger! Didn't they understand that?

"I knew those stories would do this," she muttered, still holding Jack tightly against her. "Throwing all those stories around to terrify children, what were they thinking?"

"It was real, Mommy!"

"Jack, baby—"

"I saw him, Mommy! He hurt Tiger Hunter. He was real!"

"Jack, Tiger Hunter's right here. He's just sleeping."

"He was real, Mommy! He was real."

"It's alright, baby. It's alright," she shushed, rocking the child when Jack broke down, still trying to argue his case even though his words were beyond coherence.

She sat there for a time with Jack tucked under her chin, rocking him and pecking sweet kisses on his cheeks and forehead between her gentle shushes. The gentle touches and her calming presence were plenty to calm the boy down. Even if he was still upset that they refused to believe him.

"Are you ready to go back to bed?" She asked gently when she felt Jack slump in her arms and his breathing level out, taking them as signs that the boy was on the edge of going back to sleep. Bad move.

"NO! Mommy, he'll come back!"

Abigail sighed as Jack clung to her once more with the same frantic strength he'd held onto almost an hour before. She really thought they were finished with that. But she still hugged him just as tightly and tried to calm him down, forcing back her annoyance.

"Baby, nothing is going to get you. Nothing was there."

"He was real!"

"Abby, why don't you go lie back down? I'll get him to sleep," William promised, putting a stop to the conversation before it could fall into a familiar spiral.

Abigail nodded and climbed to her feet, letting William take her place. The two sat side by side in silence as she left the room, and long after she was out of sight. Jack sat curled in on himself, Tiger Hunter snuggled next to him, having settle next to his small master after jolting awake. William just sat calmly next to him, waiting for Jack to make the first move.

"He was real, Da," Jack insisted once more, refusing to look up from his knees.

"Alright," William conceded, placing a hand between Jack's small shoulder blades. "What are we going to do about him?"

Going along with Jack seemed the best route after watching Abigail spend nearly an hour trying to convince the boy out of his belief. Agree and comfort was the most successful option, he decided. Jack finally looked up from his knees, watery eyes surprised. Then he shrugged and rested his chin back on his knees. His Da still didn't believe him, but he was too tired and upset to keep fighting.

"I dunno. I'm scared."

William hummed in response and rubbed Jack's back for comfort. The boy all but vibrated under his hand and he still wouldn't roll out of his balled position.

"You said that he hurt Tiger Hunter. Why'd he do that?" He asked, course of action set in mind.

"He bit him," Jack told him quietly.

"And do you know why he did that?"

"Because he's brave puppy."

"Exactly, and he's your protector. That's the job of a good dog. That means as long as he's here, nothing will happen to you." He waited a beat as Jack eyes darted to the puppy and back the gaze of his father. "Whenever you're scared, just tell yourself that. 'Nothing will happen with Tiger Hunter here'." Again, he waited for the suggestion to really take root, and to his relief Jack finally stopped his shaking. "Do you think you can sleep now?"

Jack gave a hesitant nod and once again crawled under the covers. This time, Tiger Hunter bounded into Jack's arms and burrowed into his chest. The little boy gave a content sigh at the feel of the tiny body against his chest and nodded to his father with much more confidence. William smiled in return, tucking Jack in more snuggly before leaving the room and turning out the light.

For a moment fear washed over him again when the light went out, but then he felt Tiger Hunter shift in his arms. Warmth replaced the fear in the center of his chest and he drifted to sleep, feeling content and safe.

No more nightmares came.

X

Da had to leave again. Winter was over and Da was leaving again. He'd waited as long as he could, after the snow had melted and every other trade's men were long gone to make sure Mommy and the bump-baby were alright. But still he had to leave, and Jack hated that.

He stood glaring at the loaded wagon as Da cupped Mommy's face and kissed her –ew—and then knelt down and kissed the bump-baby –urgh—and finally came to him. He tried not to cry, he really did, but tears still forced their way to the surface.

"Hey there," William said softly, kneeling to Jack's level and holding his shoulders.

"I don't want you to go, Da." There was snot and tears everywhere; not a very big boy thing to do, he had to admit, but he just. Could. Not. Make them stop.

"I know. But I need to, and I need to take care of your Mom."

"I will, Da," he promised, trying to be brave even through his tears and squeaked voice.

"I know you will. I'll be back before you know it," he promised, scooping Jack into his arms and holding him tight. "And then we'll celebrate having your brother or sister with us."

William hugged him and gave Jack a kiss on the forehead before walking to his wagon. Jack made his way back to his mother and held her hand, glaring at the bump-baby. Then he turned back to where his Da—his Da, he thought viciously— was setting out and waved sadly. William waved back and disappeared down the road.

Spring had passed and summer was well on the way when Jack was once again jolted awake, breaking a three month streak of perfectly restful sleep. He hadn't had anymore nightmares or visits from the Boogeyman after he started to keep Tiger Hunter in the room with him. The puppy was getting big, already almost as big as Jack was and he was as protective and loyal as ever; Jack knew the puppy would keep him safe. Jack's personal protective charm.

So when Jack once again woke to the sound of his dog's growling –now a considerably deeper and more threatening sound – the little boy drew the dog to him in fright and glanced over the side of his bed. There was no monster there and Tiger Hunter was growling at the window this time. Clutching Tiger Hunter so close to his chest he could feel the tremor of his growl through his ribs, Jack timidly peeked out the window. It was dark both inside the room and out, well into the night, and through his small window he couldn't see much of anything. He strained to see outside, holding his dog closer and closer, so focused on the outside that he didn't hear the rapid approach of footsteps to his room. He nearly fell off the bed and crushed Tiger Hunter to his chest so tightly that the dog gave a pained yelp on the heels of Jack's frightened shriek when his door was torn open.

The sight of his mother hunched in the door way, one hand holding a candle to light the room and the other on her stomach calmed his nerves. Mommy's belly had gotten huge since Da left; the bump-baby was almost bigger than Mommy now. It looked stupid, Jack decided, stupid and funny looking.

Any other mean thoughts to the bump-baby were erased when cold terror washed over him. He looked up to Mommy in concern.

"Mommy?" He questioned, frightened himself now.

"Jack, we have to go."

"Where are we going?"

"We have to get out of here; just come on, honey," she urged, pulling Jack up and out of bed.

Tiger Hunter growled and Jack looked back out the window. There was a faint orange glow lighting sky and painting the horizon. Mommy let out a frightened yelp when she saw the light and pulled him along faster, calling Tiger Hunter to follow as they ran from the room. He didn't know why she was afraid of such a pretty light that was chasing away the dark, but he did know that he didn't like being pulled along and having to run. He wanted Mommy to carry him if they had to run so fast. But Mommy didn't, and wouldn't. Ever since the bump-baby grew so big, Mommy never carried him anymore. That stupid bump-baby always got in the way.

When Mommy got them outside she screamed, and Jack couldn't be mad at the bump-baby anymore. Oh, that's where the pretty orange light was coming from; the buildings were on fire. The light didn't seem so pretty any more, Jack decided as he cuddled to his mother.

"Mommy," he whined in fear as a cottage near their own caught fire.

"It's okay, baby," she assured, but she didn't believe it. She was holding Jack's hand too hard and it hurt and she was scared. And it made Jack even more scared. "We're going somewhere safe, come on."

Jack still wasn't comforted but they were running again and he couldn't think very much. There were a lot of people out running, holding possessions or family members as they scrambled away from the fires. They were all headed for the church in the center of town, screaming and crying. That it didn't feel right. Yes, church was safe, certainly safe from the 'savages' people were screaming about attacking them. But still, it felt like the wrong move. But the wind was wrapping around him and pulling his clothes toward the lake, and that felt right.

"Mommy," he objected, pulling his mother's hand the direction they needed to go. "Mommy, we should go this way."

"Jack, baby, we'll be safe in the church."

"No, we need to go this way!" He insisted.

His mother wouldn't listen and still pulled him toward the church. So he yanked his hand free and ran for the lake, Tiger Hunter darting around just in front of him. As he hoped, his mother followed, calling for him to come back. With the bump-baby so big Mommy wasn't fast enough to catch him. And with Mommy so big that she waddled as she ran, she caught the attention of the other running villagers, who followed to make sure she was alright. And the families of those following Mommy followed them.

And that was how the majority of the village ended following a five-year old to the safety of the trees on the opposite side of the lake.

As soon as Abigail wrapped her hands around Jack's shoulder, with the intent of shaking reason into the boy, the church got fire, burning like a candle. Abigail stared at the fire in shock before looking over to Jack, mouth gaping.

"Jack, how….how did you know?" She asked in an awed whisper.

Jack just shrugged and looked away, uncomfortable with Abigail's look. He didn't know the church was going to get on fire; he just knew it wasn't safe there. He shrank away when more of the villagers looked at him; some confused, others awed like Mommy and some were even scared. Scared of him, and suspicious. Scared and suspicious hurt his head more than angry and it made his heart go cold and he did not like it, Mommy make it stop! The focus zipped away from him, much to his relief, when the last of the villagers running from the church crashed into the foliage next to them.

One of them tried to run back as soon as they arrived, yelling and thrashing against the people holding him back. He was one of the new settlers—he was part of a group who’d moved down from the north a few months ago. He was one of the people with the funny voices and light light skin. On top of his head was a mess of hair that looked like fire. Jack thought it was funny.

 But what wasn't funny was how scared he was.  It wasn’t the same kind of scared that the people felt when they were looking at Jack, but scared like Mommy was when Jack was running out of her reach.  And it wasn’t funny how mad he got when the ones holding him told him to calm down; that made the funny man want to hit them.

"I willno' calm! My boy is back there!"

Yeah, he talked really funny—oh, wait. He was a Da, and he lost his little boy. That was not funny, Jack thought. Jack frowned and moved ever so slightly away from his mother. Mommy wouldn't be happy with him, but there was a little boy out there that needed his Da, so Jack needed to find that little boy and bring him back.

The wind blew through his hair again and he bolted forward to follow it. He ignored Mommy's yell for him to come back – and she was going to be really mad about that, he knew – and dodged the hands of the other adults trying to grab him, and followed the breeze. He needed to bring the little boy back to his Da, and nothing was going to stop him.

The wind lead him true and he found the boy – just his age – huddled against a tree, the flare of fire-hair giving him away in the dark vegetation.  Jack rushed over to the other boy and gently grabbed his arm, making the other jump with a small, frightened squeak. Bright green eyes dashed to meet amber-brown and filled with relief. The other boy clung to Jack and motioned around the tree, shaking like a leaf and breathing in ragged sobs.

“There’s a monster out there.”

Jack gave the other boy a reassuring look, like the one his Mommy would often give him when he was scared to the point of tears, and peeked around the tree.  He didn’t see anything for at first, but as his eyes adjusted, he could see the massive form in the brush ahead.  It almost looked like a man, except it was too big, and the way it moved was all wrong.  The thing was hunched over so that its long arms dragged in the dirt, and shuffled forward like a bear.  Its skin was a pale white, not like snow, but the grey, waxy white of the dead.  Chunks of skin hung off its body like ribbons.

Jack was caught between utter terror and the need to vomit as the monster lumbered pass them.  He swallowed thickly, and pulled on the other boy's arm to urge him away. The boy with the orange-fire hair shook his head and huddled down more firmly against the tree. But Jack was determined, and stronger than his small body would suggest.  Fear from the wheezing breath from the monster that was still looming over them gave him strength and he pulled harder until the other boy followed him.

They crept forward a few steps, and there was a screeching cry behind them. The boys screamed and broke into a run. The creature pursued them.

 This was bad. This was so bad.  Jack couldn't see the way back to the boy's Da and Jack's Mommy anymore, and the thing behind them was getting closer. Jack was scared and the boy next to him was more scared and the monster was angry – so, so angry and so _hungry_ —and the wind was howling in fear of its own. It all made Jack's head spin and made his tummy flip.

Jack shook his head to rid it of the nails and the cold and tried to think.  They couldn’t keep running much longer, and they needed somewhere to hide.  Where was the best place to hide? Tree!  Jack grinned.  Trees were the best hiding places, of all time!

Even though his lungs were burning and his legs felt like they were going to pop off, Jack made the other boy go faster, until the sounds of the monster fell quiet.  Then he pulled the other boy to the nearest tree with branches low enough for them to reach.  He pushed the lost one up, and followed as soon as the boy started climbing on his own.  They climbed higher and higher until they were out far enough to be out of sight.

The two straddled the branches toward the top of the tree, hands touching as they both clung to the trunk. On the ground, the monster came rushing back, huffing and growling as it searched for them.  The boy with the fire-hair was shaking and scared and his fear was making Jack more and more nervous. Jack grasped the pale hand and gave it a good squeeze, gaining the gaze of shiny green eyes.

"My name's Jack," he whispered, careful not to attract the attention from below.

The other boy sent a fearful glance below, only looking back up when Jack gave his hand another squeeze. He huddled closer to the trunk of the tree, closing his eyes tight as he whispered his answer,

"Aidan."

Jack nodded and smiled, keeping a tight grip on Aidan's hand, trying his best to comfort the other boy.

"Don't worry, Aidan. I'll get you back to your Da."

"Papa?"

Aidan's gaze tore away from the wood of the tree and to Jack, who smiled reassuringly. Below them the monster snarled and kicked at the bush, and slashed at the base of their tree. Jack swallowed uneasily and Aiden clutched his hand fearfully. The boys' gazes met again and Jack tried to be strong.

He took a breath and glanced down at the monster and then at the branches surrounding him.  If he could just make Aidan feel less afraid, everything would work out.  Nothing ever looked as bad when you were having a little fun.  He studied the branches more intensely.  There! A cluster of acorns. Perfect.

A devious smirk sliding into place comfortably on his face, Jack plucked a single acorn and rolled it between his fingers. Then he tossed it, sending it in a perfect arch toward the back of the monster’s head. The way it sputtered and howled at the tiny impact was priceless; just what Jack wanted. He plucked another and Aiden gave his hand a harsh squeeze in warning. Jack looked up and smiled, placing a finger to his lips when the boy shook his head frantically. The brunette boy just motioned for Aiden to wait and launched the acorn.

The reaction was just as funny the second time; Jack had to determinedly fight back giggles. Aiden looked at him liked he'd lost his mind as Jack continuously pelted the thing below with the acorns. And then, finally, he handed one to Aidan. The other boy was fighting his own smile by that time and he took the acorn without hesitation. But he faltered before throwing it, looking to Jack uncertainly. When Jack gave an affirmative nod, he threw it. It sailed with much less skill than Jack's, but it still met its target with no problem. Aidan snorted a quiet laugh through his nose and he took and threw the next acorn eagerly.

On and on they rained down, from both boys, until the monster was twisting around at each hit, looking terrified and something like an angry cat at the same time. It actually made a cat-like hiss at the last strike – from Aidan – and Jack couldn't stop the small giggle that slipped from his lips. He slapped a hand over his mouth the moment the sound echoed in the night, looking to Aidan in horror. 

The monster froze, and then slowly looked up, until its dark eyes landed on the boys. The eyes were black, with streaks of milky white, like they were covered in a layer of spider webs. It grinned, with sharp, jagged teeth that had bits of flesh caught between the gaps.  Jack could suddenly see its excitement like it was his own.  He could feel its happiness that such tasty morsels were chased into the woods, that it was so tired of the same flesh every day and that this was going to be such a treat.  Its clawed fingers sank into the wood of the tree, and it began to pull itself up toward them.

 Jack clung to the trunk and grasped Aidan's hand.  The other boy was weeping, and Jack whimpered as the monster got closer and closer.  White drool pooled out of the corner of its mouth, and it made high, excited groans.  Then the monster was suddenly jerked down and thrown to the ground. Jack blinked, and when he opened his eyes, the woman appeared.

She was tall, ethereal and beautiful. She had an air around her that was dark and frightening.  Jack found that he couldn't look away.

The woman gazed at the monster with undisguised hatred.  It righted itself, and charged with a shrill cry, with its fingers curled into claws.  The woman didn’t react beyond raising one hand, ever so slightly.  Tree roots burst from the ground at the motion, and wrapped around the monster from head to toe.  The monster struggled and growled.  Then there was a snap and the monster dropped to the ground.  It didn’t get back up.

Jack sat gaping for a time, trying to decide if the woman was really there. He looked to Aidan, who stared at the same woman with the same astonishment.

"Aidan. Did you see….how did she…..did you see it?"

Aidan nodded dumbly, watching the woman stand utterly still below them, gazing at the base of their tree. The paler boy looked back to Jack.

"What is she?"

Jack looked down at the woman. Even if Aidan was frightened, Jack liked her. He found her presence was strong and calming. As if feeling his stare and his thoughts, she tilted her head up to meet his gaze and Jack gave a start. Her eyes were a liquid gold, beautiful and unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"I think she's an angel," he decided, clamoring down the branches with no fear to meet her.

The woman watched him climb down before shifting her gaze to Aidan. She held his sight just long enough to place a long finger to her lips and ensure he received the message. 'Don't tell anyone.' Aidan nodded his understanding and, satisfied, she looked back to Jack. She smiled warmly and caught the boy as he dropped from the branch just above her.

"Hello there," she greeted.

"Thank you for saving us," Jack replied, beaming as the woman set him back on his feet.

“Of course, my dear. You’re very brave to face a Wendigo like that.”

Jack tilted his head in confusion.  The woman just smiled back and Jack turned his attention to where Aidan was trying to climb back down. The woman followed his gaze and gracefully lifted her hand again. Aidan was gently torn from the trunk of the tree, where he hovered in mid-air for a terrifying moment before the woman lowered him slowly to the ground with a motion of her hand.

Aidan rocked unsteadily on his feet and made his way over to Jack, clutching the other boy's shoulder. Now that the paler boy was safely on the ground, the woman turned her attention completely from Aidan and focused on Jack, crouching to his level so her brilliant eyes pierced into his.

"You have to learn to be more careful," she warned. She placed on hand on Jack's small shoulder, the other on his cheek. "The world is very dangerous, and you have a big life ahead of you, little one. I want you to reach it."

In the distance to their left, Tiger Hunter barked and Jack heard his mother's frightened and very angry –uh-oh—call for him. The woman glanced in the same direction, registered it, and dismissed it for the time. There were important matters to attend.

"Can you keep a secret?" the woman with gold eyes whispered, smiling when Jack's eyes bulged in excitement.

"Better than anyone ever!"

"I'm sure," she assured, amused. "You have to keep this secret," she continued, "seeing me, talking to me; you can't tell anyone."

"Why?"

"Because it's a secret," she explained, unwilling to go into the graphic details that would fly completely over the boys head. And the reason was more than good enough for the five year old.

"Okay! Aidan, you want to keep the secret with me?"

The other boy nodded, but he wasn't as excited as Jack. In fact, he was scared. Scared that people would hurt him and his Da because they were already different, and this would make them a crazy kind of different. And Aidan already knew what happened to crazy-different people.

Confused and concerned for his new friend, Jack gently grabbed his hand, trying to calm him. The woman holding his other hand gave a small sound of interest and Jack looked back.

"Well, that's…interesting," she murmured, studying the small hand in her own.

Any other words she had on the matter were halted by another call from Jack's mother, this one accompanied by many other voices. They were getting closer. The woman sighed and for the first time Jack felt how worried she was. Worried for him. Jack frowned and gave her hand a squeeze and sent a wave of warmth toward her, hoping it would calm her the way it did for Aidan.

The second he did, the center of his head exploded. The pain was cold and rough and it spread over the area of his forehead. It hurt, it hurt, make it stop! He gave a cry and released Aidan's hand to grab at the aching area. It felt like one of the nails of anger had been dipped in ice and were being drilled into the bone of his forehead.

Jack vaguely felt the woman drop his hand and heard Aidan call out to him as he fell to his knees. It was cold, colder than anything he'd ever felt and it was invading and it hurt. He didn't understand it; this never happened when he tried to make anyone feel better before. What was going on? Why wouldn't it stop?!

He was trembling and crying and though he might go mad when the cold started to recede. He blinked back the tears and managed to peek up through his bangs, his eyes meeting those brilliant golds. The woman's warm and soft hand settled in his hair, stroking until the cold was gone. She wiped his tears away when he tilted his head up fully and gave him a comforting smile.

"You have to be more careful, little one," she repeated. "And be safe."

She kissed his forehead, banishing the last of the cold, and then disappeared. Jack blinked dumbly at the empty space where she'd been as he regained his breathing and lazily looked up to where Aidan crouched over him. The other boy was scared and worried and that wasn't helping Jack's tender head. But Jack was too scared and too hurt to try to calm him, so he just grimaced through it.

"Jack!" Mommy's call was just next to him and it was enough to get him back on his feet, shaking the last of the intense pain from his head.

"Mommy! We're over here! Come on, Aidan."

The other boy stayed rooted against Jack's pulls until Jack finally looked back at him. Aidan didn't know what had happened between the strange woman and the other boy, but it obviously hurt him. And Aidan was worried about him.

"I'm okay," Jack promised.

Aidan let out a relieved breath and let Jack drag him along, not at all unsettled that Jack knew his worry without needing him to say anything, as long as his friend was alright. They ran toward the voices, returning the calls as they grew closer. Jack's Mommy and Aidan's Da were at the front of the group searching for them.  Aidan spotted them first, and dashed forward with a thrilled cry.

"Papa!"

The man's head whipped over to them and he almost fell to his knees in relief. Aidan ran full speed into his father's arms, burying his face into the large chest.

"A gasúr," the man whispered, close to tears as he held Aidan close.

Jack smiled, proud. He got Aidan back to his Da – or Papa, apparently – and now they were happy. That was good, he decided. But he also decided it was bad when his terrified mother grabbed his shoulders and twirled him around.

"Jackson William Overland!" Oh yeah, full name; very bad. "You gave me a heart attack! Don't you ever do that again! Do you hear me?!" She shrieked, giving his shoulders a good shake. Then she deflated and pulled him desperately close to her chest, tucking his mop of dark hair under her chin. Her voice trembled next time she spoke and she held him just a little too tightly. "Oh baby, you scared my half to death," she sobbed, her voice cracking at the end. She held Jack so close to her he almost smooshed the bump-baby, but she was sad and scared so Jack held her back.

"I'm sorry, Mommy."

"It's okay baby. I'm just glad you're okay."

Jack snuggled into his mother's arms until she wasn't so scared. The safe feel and smell of mom made him feel better too and finally the cold ball in the center of his chest – not the kind of cold from the angel lady, but still unpleasant – went away. Much better, he decided with a happy sigh.

"Madam?"

Keeping Jack tucked firmly against her, Abigail turned the man who was keeping Aidan just as close. Jack smiled and waved happily at said boy and Aidan waved back eagerly, if a bit shyly.

"I would just like ta thank your lad. Fer saving mine," he smiled down at the pale boy clinging to his leg.

"You saved that boy, honey?"

"No it was—"Oh, wait, not supposed to tell. Keeping the pretty angel lady secret was harder than he thought. "I just had us hide and climb the tree. And throw acorns at the monster," he corrected.

"You did what?"

"Well, sounds like you saved him ta me, boy-o," Aidan's Papa declared with a chuckle.

"I cannot tell you how much this means to me. So anything I kin do fer you, either of you, consider it done." He directed the last to Abigail, offering his hand. She hesitated a moment before taking it, smiling when the man gave her hand a gentlemanly kiss. "Rian O'Shea," he introduced.

"Abigail Overland."

"Anything I can do fer you, Goody Overland." A promise more than a question.

"I can do it. I promised Da."

Aidan’s Papa gave a full hearted laugh as he looked down to Jack. He smirked back up at Abigail.

"Stubborn lad, id 'nit he?"

"Can't talk him out of anything."

The man was laughing again when he knelt before Jack. He grasped Jack's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. His were as bright as Aidan's, only a sky blue rather earthly green. Everything about him was light. Light light skin, sparkling eyes, burning hair. Jack found it fascinating.

"Then what can I do fer you, lad?"

Jack bit his lip and looked up at his mother. Then he offered a shy smile.

"Can I play with Aidan tomorrow?"

Goodman O'Shea blinked and then let loose another full bellied laugh. He sent Abigail a bemused smile as he rose.

"I see no problem with that. Aidan?" The pale boy nodded excitedly and beamed at Jack. "There ya have it then. We'll see you 'round, lad."

Jack nodded and waved with a big smile as his mother pulled him along, following the crowd back to their village. Making a new friend was the best way to end a day, no matter how bad the day had started out. Always.

The attack was over by the time they made it back, and everyone immediately went to work fighting the fires.  They were lucky; much of their village was untouched by the fires and what was marred was still salvageable. Not bad for a major attack on their small settlement. Jack's home in particular was amazingly unharmed despite the proximity of the fire, and Jack was thrilled. The evening was taking the best of turns. Until Jack had to go back to bed, that is.

As soon as Jack was back under the covers, Mommy declared that Tiger Hunter was getting too big to sleep on the bed with Jack. So now the dog had to sleep by the fire in the front of the house. It didn't matter how much Jack protested, Mommy was firm on her point, annoyed and tired and wanted to get off her feet. So there was no way out of it, and Jack was left alone in the dark room without his charm. The first night, nothing happened; it had been a very long night, and there were only a few hours of night left, so Jack slept like a rock in a dreamless sleep.

But within the week, the nightmares returned. Every night for a month, Jack jolted awake in the dead of the night, trembling and in tears.

They varied in the beginning, but the nightmares all ended the same: Jack would be standing over a crib, looking at the small bundle of blankets resting inside. Then the bundle would start to cry, and Jack would try to comfort it, but the bundle would just scream at his touch. And while Jack would look down at it, frozen and confused, Mommy would gather up the bundle and shush it gently, not sparing a glance to Jack as she would take the bundle over to Da. Then they would both walk out, and no matter how fast Jack ran, he could never catch them and no matter how loud he screamed, they never turned back. And in the end they would slam the door and leave Jack alone in darkness.

It became more and more difficult for Jack to function during the day as the nightmares got worse and worse, making it so that he fit less sleep in during the night. Jack could hardly pull himself out of bed and when he did it was to lumber around in an exhausted daze until it was time to fall back into bed. It terrified his mother, who watched the rings under her son's eyes darken by the day in frightened helplessness. She couldn't figure out what was wrong, and she couldn't figure out how to fix it.

By the time Abigail's belly looked ready to pop, Jack had stop sleeping all together at night, only falling into exhausted slumber when he couldn't force his eyes open, and in the broad of daylight. But those small portions of sleep weren't enough and he was to the point that he could barely make it through the day, spending every night staring at the small candle he kept by his bed side.  

The light was the only thing that kept him awake, but it wasn't nearly strong enough to banish the dark that seemed to move like a living being.

Jack swallowed and curled up, forcibly tearing his gaze from the shadows back to the candle. Had to stay awake; stay awake, keep away the nightmares. Forever, if necessary.

He kept the mantra going, curling up tighter as the shadows swirled around him and seemed to whisper. When the shadows pooled under his bed, all rational thought flew from his mind and he whimpered and curled into as tight a ball as he could, with the little candle in front of him like a shield.

The shadows shifted into a familiar thin form and Jack let the dam of tears flow as the sharp features of the man's face leaned in close.

"Avoiding sleep, are we?" The man ‘tsked’, waving a scolding finger in Jack's frightened face. "Naughty."

"Momm—"A large hand – grey, Jack noted through his fearful haze – clapped over his mouth, trapping his cry in his throat.

"Now, now, none of that. Your mother needs her rest; she's carrying such a heavy burden, after all. I always find it so sad," the man continued, removing his hand now that Jack was absolutely focused on his words, "that a family only has room for one baby in their home."

He let the statement hang in the air, and was rewarded with a hushed, frightened voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed?" The feigned shock was lost on the five year old, but it was no less satisfying for it. "The way your father is gone more, how your mother can hardly spare you a moment. They're working their way up to when they won't have any attention for you anymore."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it, though? Why else would they be so focused on the new baby if they're not planning on replacing you?" The Boogeyman laughed as Jack paled. Then he schooled his features back to sympathy and shook his head. "It's a sad fact, but parents only have enough love for one child. When a cuter baby comes along, well; you've already seen what will happen."

"No!" They were just bad dreams. Not real, not real!

"Oh yes. They'll leave you. All alone, in the dark."

"No! No, no, no, no!"

"And there are things in the dark that just can't wait to gobble up abandoned little boys," he added, playing with a spike of Jack's messy hair.

Jack had no reply to that. He tried, giving sputters of denial as the Boogeyman fiddled with his hair. But he was too terrified to adequately contradict the shadow monster.

It wasn't true, he tried to tell himself. It couldn't be true. But, Da did say he had to leave more for the bump-baby. And Mommy wouldn't carry him anymore and all she ever talked about anymore was how excited she was for the bump-baby and no no no no, it wasn't true! The Boogeyman was talking again, but Jack couldn't hear him because he was scared he didn't want the monsters to get him Mommy please don't let them get me don't leave me Mommy!

He could hear the Boogeyman laughing, and then he was yelling. And then he was quiet. Jack pried an eye open, unable to remember when he'd closed them in his haze of terror. His room was empty, even the heavy shadows were gone, like the Boogeyman was never there. Then he heard the shadow monster's angry voice just outside his window.

He scrambled away from the window, and darted under his bed when the sound of yelling and fighting crashed outside, forgetting in his terror that his haven was where the danger had come from in the first place. The Boogeyman sounded mad, yelling about 'letting him do his job' and how annoying it was to interfere. Jack didn't understand what he was talking about, but all the yelling frightened him. He eventually slapped his hands over his ears and hid his face in his knees while he waited for the fight to stop, curled up on his side under his bed. He was stiff and sore with terror when it finally went quiet.

When he mustered the courage to peek up over the side, there was a bright glow, too bright to be from his small candle. He yelped and scrambled back into the shadows of his bed. He didn't know what was up there, but it couldn't be good if it was talking with the Boogeyman. All he could do as the glow grew brighter as it came closer was hope; please, please don't find him, whatever you are please don't find me!

A little golden face—actually gold, gold and made of sand— peeked under his bed and Jack forgot to be afraid. So pretty! The man peering under his bed was glowing, literally glowing and smiling at Jack with the most gentle of smiles. Jack felt at ease with his presence, so much so that he crawled out from under the bed without hesitation when the man motioned for him.

Jack was almost a head taller than the man when standing; yet he still felt like he was being reprimanded by a parent when the glowing man wagged a finger at him.  A mesmerizing set of images appeared over the little man's head, and Jack couldn't feel reprimanded anymore. A line of z's with an big x through them played out and the man wagged his finger again.

"Don't you talk?"

If the man thought Jack was a little rude to ignore whatever he was signing, he didn't make a fuss about it. The little glowing man shook his head and Jack felt a little sad for him. Not being able to talk sounded awful. But the man smiled and made more pictures over his head. Jack gave a gasp and smiled back.

"That's a fun way to talk," he decided.

The man nodded and repeated the first set of images. It was hard to understand the words without actual words, but Jack loved guessing games and he was smart. It didn't take too long to figure out what the man was 'saying'. And once he got over the excitement of puzzling it out, Jack was not happy.

"The Boogeyman won't let me dream. And Mommy took Tiger Hunter so he won't stay away and I can't go to sleep!" He protested, begging the little man to understand, because he clearly thought Jack should be sleeping.

And to his relief, the glowing man understood perfectly. Jack sagged and watched the little images dance over wild hair that rivaled his. An x over the silhouette of the Boogeyman, a mother and child hugging, and a dog. That one took longer to understand, but the repeated shape of a dog locked the answer.

"You'll keep me safe?" He guessed and jumped in joy when the man nodded.

Then he was once again guided back to his bed and tucked in. He didn't know how the little man would protect him from the shadow monster, but he believed he would. And it was good enough.

"Who are you?"

The little man smiled and painted more pictures over his head. A pile of sand, that was easy. A…Da? No. A person? Sandperson? No, that didn't sound right.

Oh!

"Sandman?"

He received a proud nod and smiled happily and let the Sandman blow a small handful of dust into his eyes. He was drowsy instantly and he was very ready for a goodnights sleep. He sank into sleep and sweet dreams under the Sandman's comforting glow.

The Boogeyman didn't bother him again.

X

Goodman O'Shea was very dedicated to his promise to help Jack and his Mommy. Even though Jack insisted that he could take care of everything, he was still a little boy and he needed time to himself so he could play. And that was where Aidan’s father came in handy. That way Jack could give him details instructions on taking care of Mommy – make sure she lies down, make her lots of food, rub her head, rub her back; the basics – and Jack could play with Aidan and his introduce his new friend to Chris and Charlie and they could all have fun together. Jack was pretty sure that he didn't follow all of his instructions, but Mommy was looked after and he could play, so that was alright. Over all, Jack really liked Aidan’s father; he was nice and helped take care of Mommy like a Da.

So when Mommy was ready to have the new baby, the first person Jack went to get – after the midwife, Mommy was very clear on getting the grumpy mean lady as quick as possible – was Aidan’s Papa. Da still wasn't back, and Mommy was hurting, and Jack had been sitting alone in the front room for what felt like forever and he was scared.

So he didn't care that it might have been a little rude that he dragged Aidan and his Papa to his house to sit with him. Hearing Mommy scream so much was really scary.

Jack flinched and swallowed thickly when Mommy screamed even louder. He didn't want to cry, but his tears didn't seem to want to let him act like a big boy. Luckily, Aidan’s father didn't mind and just gave Jack shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"It'll be alright, lad."

"Why's Mommy screaming?"

Aidan’s Papa rubbed the tense little back until the lump in Jack's throat loosened. Only when Jack relaxed next to him did he answer.

"Because bringing a littlun into the world his tough work, lad."

Oh, so it was because of the bump-baby. Jack let the rising bubble of anger and annoyance cover the pool of cool dread in the pit of his stomach as he scowled. Stupid bump-baby; it was ruining everything.

Rian glanced down when Jack tensed and started to tremble under his hand. When Abigail let out another scream from behind the closed door – something that told him the birth was going rather roughly – he caught Jack's attention with a warm smile.

"You wanna go outside, boy-o?"

Jack nodded after a moment's thought and ran outside to find Aidan. The other boy was playing with a handful of marbles just outside the door, with Tiger Hunter running circles happily around to him.  His father stood leaning against the door frame, watching as the two boys played, considerably quieter than they normally would. Just nervous because of the tense situation, he decided.

"Your Mum's having a baby?" Aidan asked voice kept at a low whisper.

"Yeah."

Jack's answer was just as quiet. He couldn't quite muster the will for his usual energy.

"You're not excited?"

Jack just shrugged and became intently interested in one of Aidan's marbles, patting Tiger Hunter's muzzle as the dog settled down next to him.

"You'll be a good big brother."

"Course you will."

Jack smiled as convincingly as he could at the reassurances. He guessed Aidan and his Papa wouldn't understand it. After all, Aidan never needed to worry about the consequences of a new baby, since his papa only had one little boy to love.

Jack was saved from having to act excited by the sound of an approaching wagon. Then he beamed at the sight of his father, anger and dread forgotten. It felt like Da had been gone forever! Jack bolted forward to his father's waiting arms like he always did, so happy to be held and picked up like normal.

"My boy. How are your mother and the baby? I haven't missed the baby, have I?"

And just like that, all the happy feelings were gone. William frowned when Jack didn't answer, brow furrowed in concern and confusion. Then he all but crushed the five year old to his chest when Aidan’s Papa walked from the doorway over to them.

"Your wife is bringing your littlun inside," he supplied.

"And you are," William began, eying the man.

"Rian O'Shea.”  He offered his hand and William hesitantly took it. "I've been looking after your wife and lad."

"Have you now?"

Da wasn't happy about that no matter how light his voice was. He didn't like the other man, which Jack didn't understand. Why wouldn't he like someone as great as Aidan’s Papa? 

"Yes. I own your family, and you, quite the debt. Your son saved my boy," Aidan’s Papa explained, smiling and calm despite knowing that Jack's Da didn't like him.

"He, he did?"

"Oh yes. That's a very brave lad you have there. But, now is not the time to talk of that. We'll discuss later, you're wife needs you."

William nodded dumbly, too excited by the news of his new child coming and confused by the conversation to make sense of much. He made a note to have a real discussion with the man as Jack called a farewell to the boy at the other man's feet and decided to focus on the feeling of excitment.

The second they crossed the threshold, they were greeted by the shrilled cry of an infant. William almost dropped his first born in surprise and delight, doing a small dance as he set Jack down.

"Let's go meet your brother or sister."

Jack scowled but followed his Da to his parent's room just as the midwife stepped out. The woman came to a surprised halt when she saw William, then gave a half pleased, half mocking smile.

"Goodman Overland, glad you could join us. It's a girl," she went on before he could protest, "a healthy, very beautiful little girl. Congratulations."

She smiled and left without another word, trusting William to be experienced enough to deal with everything on his own. William bolted into the room before the midwife was all the way out of the house, leaving Jack dragging his feet behind him.

Jack was seething when he convinced himself to go into the room – because anger was better than the cold cold terror that would have left him curled up in a shaking ball on the ground – grumbling at his father cooing at the little bundle in his mother's arms. When his father looked up and motioned him over, Jack snapped, half way to tears.

"Jack, come meet your sister."

And Jack just screamed, "I don't want her!" and ran from the room.

He scrambled under their table and hugged his knees, trying not to cry, and failing. He was reduced to tiny, hiccupped sobs when his father walked to the table and crouched down to peek under. He guessed this was it. This was how they were going to replace him with that new stupid baby girl. He launched into a new fit of sobs.

"You want to tell me what this is about?" William asked when Jack's sobs quieted.  He slowly moved the chairs back so that he could see Jack better.

"You don't want me!" Jack accused through his tears. "You have a new, cuter baby and now you don't want me!"

"Oh, Jack," he sighed, running a hand over his face. The he smiled, and glanced to where Jack was keeping his face hidden in his knees.

"Oh dear, it seems my son has lost faith in my love for him," William mused. "How do I fix that? Oh, I know."

Jack let out a shrilled cry as William snatched him out from under the table. Then he giggled uncontrollably as his Da proceeded to mercilessly tickle him. The little boy laughed to the point of tears as William alternated between the tickles and blowing on Jack's belly. Only when the five year old was on the brink of wetting himself did William settle back on his heels, smoothing down Jack's messy hair.

"Jack," he began, drawing the boy's gaze. "I love you more than anything, remember? Nothing will ever change how much your mother and I love you. Certainly not this. We'll always love you that much; we just have to make more room in our hearts for your sister now."

"You can do that?"

"Of course we can."

"Okay," Jack conceded with no further argument.

William smiled and drew Jack back into his arms. Jack snuggled into his Da's broad chest and William held him tight enough to banish any doubts of his love.

"Now, let's go say hello to your sister. From the sounds of it, I say she thinks you hate her," he said, referring to the constant cries of the baby girl back in William and Abigail's room.

And just like he wanted, Jack gave a dramatic gasp and bolted. William laughed and shook his head as he followed, arriving just in time to see Jack bouncing the side of the bed to try to look at the little girl's face, babbling a mile a minute.

"I'm sorryofcourseIwantyou yoursoprettyandperfect andI'msosorry."

"Jack, honey, calm down."

"She has to know I don't hate her!" Jack objected, near hysteria.

Abigail sent a scolding look to William, who smiled shyly and shrugged. It worked didn't it? Abigail rolled her eyes and smiled at her son.

"Of course she knows, baby. Look how happy she is now that you're here."

Well, in reality, the infant had fallen asleep after her feeding. But the five year old didn't need to know that as long as he was soothed. Jack's smile replaced worry and he peeked up to gaze at the tiny face swaddled in the blankets in their mother's arms.

"She's so cute," he declared, sending his happy smile to his mother, past animosity completely forgotten.

"Yes, she is."

"Can I hold her?"

"Of course you can."

Jack clapped happily and prepared to take the baby from his mother, only to have William steer him away and instruct him to sit down. Once Jack had done so, his Da gathered the baby from Mommy's arms, and had Jack copy the position of his arms before setting the baby girl gently in the cradle of her brother's arms.

Jack smiled in amazement as he supported the little head the way William told him, staring at the tiny face in his arms. Her face was perfectly round and porcelain white. She had thick and pretty lashes on her closed eyes, a cute little button nose above little pink lips. And just to the side of her left eye was a small dark mark that Jack found just adorable.

"Jack, meet Maryann Katherine: your little sister."

"She's so tiny," Jack commented after another long time of studying the little face.

"Yes, she is, and very fragile. That's why she needs a good big brother to look after her."

"I can do that," he promised, never looking away from Maryann's sleeping face. "I love her, Da. Can I keep her?"

William held back a laugh when Jack's eyes finally met his, fully sincere in the question. He did smile, however, and pressed Jack's bangs out of his eyes.

"Of course you can. She's your sister, after all."

That made Jack smile even more. His little sister. She was his little sister and he was her big brother. The fact made him feel all warm and happy and when the baby snuggled into him, opening her eyes to reveal huge pupils with hints of brown at the edges, he knew she felt the same.

"Hi Mary," he whispered, careful to be really quiet as the baby went back to sleep. "I'm your big brother, and I'm going to take good care of you. And don't worry, we'll have a lot of fun together," he promised, thrilled for the future of fun with his little sister.

#

Fun with his baby sister took a lot longer than Jack would have liked. At first, all Mary would do was sleep and cry. Then when she got bigger, she would sleep, cry and eat.

It wasn't until she learned how to crawl that she was anything remotely close to fun. And even then, Jack couldn't play with her until she was even bigger. But Jack forced himself to be patient, and it was worth it.

Now that Mary was a toddler, due to be three in the coming summer, she was energetic enough to keep up with her nine-year old brother. It was worth the wait, by far.

The two would spend hours together, or at least for however long their mother told him to keep Mary entertained before he could play with his friends.  And it didn't bother Jack. Most of the time, anyway. Right now, he was just having her chase him in circles until she got tired. It was still pretty fun; Tiger Hunter chased after them as he tried to herd them and Mary giggled all the while.

Then she squealed and darted to the road passing their house. Jack laughed and ran after her, before coming to a surprised stop. How did she do that? The girl had some kind of super-sense for when either of their parents were near-by. It baffled him; he couldn't do that.

"Da-ey! Da-ey, Da-ey!"

Giving another laugh, Jack followed his younger sibling to hug/attack their Da. Mary's squealing approach had William turning just in time to crouch down and catch the girl as she threw herself into his arms. Jack did the same and William staggered.

"My arms! They're not big enough to hold you both. Going down!"

William fell onto his back to confirm the cry, dragging his laughing children down with him. The two bounced on his stomach; Jack tickled him while Mary just nuzzled her head on his chest.

"You made it back for Christmas!" Jack noticed, thrilled by the fact as he beamed at his breathless father.

"Of course I did. Have I ever missed a Christmas?"

"Nope!" Mary chimed, resuming her bouncing fun on William's upper stomach.

"Kids, let your father come inside," Abigail called from the door.

"Mom, can I go now?!" Jack asked as William gathered the laughing two year old in his arms and went inside.

"Yes, go. Join the Terror Squad. Just be home by dark!" She called after the boy as he darted off to meet the other three boys playing just past their home.

"Terror Squad?" William asked from where he gave their daughter a spin that had her laughing hysterically.

"Those four are going to tear this town out from under us, I swear it."

William chuckled and watched the four dart into town. Even from a distance, William could easily pick out Aidan's crop of flaming red hair as the boy bounced along next to Jack, chatting happily. That made the other two, one with a mess of light brown hair and the other with a similar mop of dirty blonde, Chris and Charlie. The four had been inseparable since they met at age five. Watching them jog off, William was forced to agree with his wife; they were nothing but trouble alone. When they were together, it was time to just batten down the hatches and wait out the storm.

X

Just as ordered, Jack was back before sunset. Just barely. He cheerfully waved goodbye to his friends as he step away from the chilly air outside, laughing all the way. While William always thought the sound of his boy's laugh was cause for happiness, Abigail recognized the very devious tone in the chuckle and stiffed.

"What did you do?" She demanded, turning away from supper preparations to stare the nine-year old down.

"Nothing!" Jack protested, eyes wide in feigned shock and insult. "So little faith in me, Mom."

Abigail only raised an eyebrow and waited, trying not to show hurt at the name. Shortly after Jack's ninth birthday, he'd traded out 'Mommy' for 'Mom', declaring himself too old for such a term of endearment for his mother. It hurt more than Abigail cared to think. But, staying on point, she kept her glare steady. Glancing up from where he bounced Mary on his lap – greatly pleasing the little girl – William smiled at the small contest of wills.

"Causing trouble, my boy?"

"Yeah,” Jack declared, more than happy to admit such a thing to his Da. "Goodman Barnes' vein almost burst!"

That was in reference to an elder in the village, Jonas Barnes. Barnes was hardly ever seen in the village with the exception of his weekly trips to the market. He was the closest thing to a recluse the village could come up with, and it made him subject to suspicion, and, due to his particular brand of anger, a source of entertainment for the older village children.

"Jack, I've told you to stop tormenting that poor man."

"But he makes it so funny! His face gets all red and that vein bulges and he heaves. It's great!"

"Jack—"

"Troublemaker!" William interrupted. "You're lucky Christmas is already here, otherwise Santa might have decided you're too much of a nuisance for presents.”

"Santa, Santa!"

Mary clapped gleefully. Jack, on the other hand, paled. No presents on Christmas, the only time he could be certain that he’d get any kind of gifts?

"Can he really do that?" Jack asked nervously.

"I think you're safe for now, but you best be on good behavior for next Christmas."

Jack nodded eagerly and instantly jumped up to help when Abigail called that supper was ready to be moved to the table. William chuckled and shook his head. That might have bought them a few months of good behavior. Maybe. The boy was a hellion, nothing to be done about it, he decided as he went back to bouncing Mary.

The next morning was marked by Mary jumping on Jack’s legs as she jabbered incoherently. The two had been sharing a room since Mary was old enough to sleep through the night, so Jack was always the first in the house Mary would wake up. Giving an annoyed groan Jack tried to shove her away and rolled onto his other side. It only made Mary more determined.

"Jack, wake up! Wake up Jack! Christmas Christmas Jack!"

That had Jack up and out of bed to the window in a blink. Yes! It was morning –and there was snow! It was Christmas! Bouncing with just as much excitement as his sister, Jack pulled the girl out of their room and to their parents'. It was the first year that Mary could really understand Christmas, and be truly excited about it, so it made the morning all the more thrilling. The two forced their sleepy eyed parents out to the front, where a handful of colorful presents lay under their shrimp-y tree. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make the two children go starry eyed.

They dove into the presents eagerly, with Tiger Hunter jumping happily next to them. For the most part they were winter garments: scarves and jackets for each. But in the midst were two specific gifts. Little Mary unwrapped a small poppet, with dark hair and a small round face. The girl squealed in delight and hugged the toy to her chest while Jack let out a similar sound as his gift revealed a pair of ice skates. He'd wanted a pair ever since the tradesmen had brought news of the popularity of fun on ice. It sounded more fun than anything he'd ever heard of in his entire life.

Jack demanded his father take him to the lake to learn how to use them as soon as they were freed from the wrapping. He dragged his laughing father out of the doorway, only pausing to pull on proper winter wear, leaving his mother and sister to play with the new poppet. They returned only a few short moments later, Jack shivering and on the verge of tears while William promised to teach him when the ice was thicker.

It turned out the weather just wasn't quite cold enough for thick ice. The first step Jack took on the ice, too fast for his father to warn him, plunged his foot into icy cold water. He may not have gotten to use his skates, but it was still an important lesson learned that day: it was difficult to tell how safe the ice was, but the whiter it was, the more dangerous. So it was always better to check before stepping on.

X

With the exception of Jack, Easter was the favorite holiday of all the village children. It was the sign that the harsh, cold and frightening months of winter were on their way out and that warmer times were to replace them. It also promised gifts of brightly colored eggs and chocolates. While it wasn't the same as winter, Jack could admit that there was enjoyment to be had in spring, especially around Easter. All the kids playing and laughing as they hunted for the eggs and the adults finally at ease. It was a thing of beauty. And Jack loved playing with his sister and the other little kids as they looked for their treasures.

Jack's parents had given him the job of helping his little sister through the hunt started the year before with her first Easter and he was all too happy to do so as he looked for the eggs himself. He stayed at her side all through the day, guiding her to easily found eggs, applauding her success when she would show off her find. And as the hours passed, more and more of the younger kids joined up with them, until almost every child in the village was following the two Overland siblings. And every one of those kids went home with a basket full of eggs and a happy smile on their faces.

Apparently the other parents had been impressed, because this year they very eagerly sent their children to Jack for the day. On the one hand, it was pretty cool. It ensured a whole day of fun with the littler kids, something that became very rare after his seventh birthday, last Easter being the exception, when he'd started school. He was expected to act like a big boy and play with kids his own age. So this would be a nice change.

On the other hand, he was still considered too old to spend any time with the younger ones, chaperone or not. So his friends made it a point to tease him relentlessly about being on 'baby watch'. And while he got them back with a 'you'll be jealous when I bring back definitive proof of the Easter Bunny', which did get them pretty jealous, his mood was still soured. But the kids still had the time of their lives, so all in all it wasn't too horrible an Easter.

They traveled deep into the woods, following the colorful trail of eggs. Jack may have been just a little too enthused as he led the other children through the trees, having them march along happily behind him as he moved well passed the lake and further away from the village. It wasn't long before the town was well out of sight, completely blocked by the towering trees. By the time Jack decided it was time to head back, everyone was wiped out well and good from the long hike and were more than ready for bed. So Jack set back out, the younger kids trailing behind him and chatting about the eggs they found.

When they trekked through the woods until their feet felt like lead, Jack felt a nag of worry in the back of his mind as he realized he wasn't quite sure where they were. When the sun started to sink below the trees, they couldn't recognize anything around them and Jack was frightened. When it was so dark they could no longer risk continuing on, Jack and the others were utterly terrified and had no idea how to get back to the village. They ended up huddled together in the dark, for both warmth and comfort, talking in terrified whispers.

"Jack," one of the older kids – but still so young, not even seven years old – implored, "are we lost?"

"No, no," he assured, maybe a bit too quickly. "We're just, we're having an adventure, and waiting for our parents to pick us up."

It was a pathetic excuse, and anyone over the age of five saw right through it. Luckily, most of the kids were comforted by it and visibly relaxed. Happy with the result, Jack tucked Mary closer to his side and suggested they dig into their eggs. And all of them, even those who knew they were all in serious danger, eagerly did so, and the grave air hanging over them lifted for the moment. Sighing as the kids happily ate their chocolates, Jack gazed at the trees. They were in trouble, and it was on him to get these younger kids out of it. It was a lot of expectation and responsibility to place on a nine-year old, and it scared him. He wished he had Tiger Hunter, his lucky charm; it would have been much easier with his dog with him. But Tiger Hunter was back home with Mom and Da, and Jack was the only one there to take on the responsibility to get his charges home. Besides, it was his fault they were in this position in the first place.

In his intense focus on the trees as he let his thoughts wander, Jack saw the slightest shift of shadows next to the group. Hissing sharply through his nose, Jack crushed his little sister to him, making her yelp and drawing the attention of the others. Forcing down his fear, Jack sent the others a small smile and climbed to his feet, claiming he had to 'find a tree-bathroom'. It was a weak excuse and a weaker joke, but Jack darted off before he had to face it.

When he came to where he'd seen the shadow, there was no sign of danger. No Boogeyman – his first guess – or anything else that could cause them harm – his second guess. Just a small, multicolored, glittered egg at his feet. He frowned when he knelt down to pick it up. What was this doing here? Maybe they were closer to the village then they thought, he wondered hopefully, if there was an egg here. With hope sparked, Jack wandered forward and in a few steps he came across a second egg. Another few steps, and there was another. Even more steps and yet another. Convinced he already knew where this trail of eggs would leave, Jack darted back the way he came, a happy and eager smile on his face. He was going to do it, he was going to get them home!

Elation turned to dread as he heard an unmistakable howl that was far too close for comfort. He pushed himself harder and came crashing through the trees to the other kids. A few gave frightened yelps from where they were huddled up even tighter while they looked about anxiously. Jack tried to give an easy and comforting smile while he caught his breath, but the howls were getting closer and they were getting scared.

"Hey, we're gonna play a game," he insisted, ignoring the cold feeling pooling in his chest. "We're gonna have a contest to see who can collect the most eggs. Sound like fun?"

The idea of a game wasn't enough to totally banish the fear of the things in the dark, but it still got them moving a bit faster than they would have in an utter terror. Small favors, he decided as he ushered them all in front of him. When they actually caught sight of the egg trail, the kids became fully engrossed in the game. Jack smiled as he watched the fear lift, but still kept himself behind them all; both to herd them in the right the direction and so he could hear the growls and sound of padded paws following just behind them. He swallowed down terror and urged them on as subtly as he could.

When the village came into sight, Jack's legs went to jelly and he gave a trembling sigh of relief. The others had similar reactions, bouncing in joy and giving happy calls. And then there were squeals of terror.

Jack had them running toward the lights of the village before the others could pinpoint what it was that had the screamers so afraid. He risked a glance back as they went, and felt his blood freeze at the sight of the large grey wolf racing after them.  There was only one, and it looked like it was half starved.  But Jack knew well that there was no way a group of children would be able to outrun it. And one wolf was more than enough to do unspeakable damage.

It was going to catch them, and it was going to hurt Jack’s young charges.  So, Jack decided, the wolf needed something else to chase. Decision made, he came to a grinding halt, urging the others to go on as he changed direction. And when the beast didn't follow him immediately, he tossed a hand-sized rock with perfect accuracy to its head. It had the desired effect, something he wasn't entirely sure he was happy about, and the snarling wolf changed direction and went after him. It closed in on him in a blink. Refusing to look back, Jack made his way to the nearest tree as fast as his legs could carry him – and man he wished he had longer legs!—and jumped up to the only branch within reach.

He pulled himself up only a fraction of an inch when a jaw locked around his ankle. He let out a pained screamed as he was pulled down, branch and all. Once he hit the ground – landing flat on his back and knocking all the breath from his lungs – the wolf jerked its head from side to side until Jack thought it would tear his ankle off. He screamed and he cried out and he tried to kick the wolf off or to try to hit it with what remained of the branch but nothing worked. He swung the branch about frantically, unable to see through his tears. It was going to eat him, oh god, it was going to eat him and he was going to die.

He cried and flinched away, clenching his eyes tightly shut. He was half unconscious by that time and quickly blacking out from the pain and his inability to get proper air into his lungs. He vaguely thought to be grateful that he wouldn't be awake to feel the wolf eat him when he heard the beast yelp. Then he felt the teeth in his ankle recede and he sighed. That felt much better, he decided hazily.

When he felt himself being gently lifted off the ground he tried to pry his eye open. His sight was blackening around the edges and he couldn't tell much about the person carrying him except that they were tall. He groaned and rolled his head back to look right at the face. He still couldn't see anything but it alerted whoever was holding him that he was awake.

"Hang on, anklebitter. Ya did good, an' yer gonna be alright."

He talked funny, whoever he was. It made Jack smile giddily.

"Goodman O'Shea?" He murmured.

Whoever it was didn't answer, or didn't get the chance to. As Jack blacked out, he realized that it couldn't be Aidan’s father, because Goodman O'Shea didn't have furry arms.

Jack woke up some time later to his father screaming for him. He propped himself up to look around and winced in discomfort. He was stiff from lying on the ground, light headed and his foot hurt. But he wasn't dead, so, not bad even if he was miserable. He was trying to push himself up all the way when William rushed over and wrapped Jack up in his arms. Jack winced when his tender ankle was jostled when William lifted him, rushing him back to the village.

"I'm sorry, Da," he slurred. "I got us lost; I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad at you. I'm not. I'm just glad you're safe."

Jack hummed and leaned against William's solid chest. Da's heart was beating a mile a minute and he was very scared. Jack snuggled into Da's warmth and tried to assure him that he was alright. It calmed William down enough to slow his pounding heat, but he was still frightened. Jack's tilted head directed his line of sight to his aching ankle and for a moment he forgot about Da being so scared.

It wasn't bleeding; in fact it was tightly wrapped.

"I'm okay," he promised, nuzzling his father's chest. "Aidan’s Da saved me."

He passed out again before William could question him on that.

Jack ankle was snapped in two places. Or so he was told as he was confined to bed rest – which he hated more than anything else, ever. He was confined to his bed for five months while he waited for it to heal. Everyone dotted on him. They brought him anything he asked, praised him for his bravery, did everything he said.

It was driving him crazy. But, on the upside, it gave him plenty of time to think back on what he knew about his rescuer.

Not Goodman O'Shea, no matter how funny he talked, because it wasn't the same kind of funny. And furry, who was furry? It had Jack thinking in circles for weeks. Who, who, who?

But he pieced it together after about two months. He was literally saved from the wolves by none other than the Easter Bunny.

X

Mary was five when she lost her first tooth. And she was terrified.

Of course, it probably didn't help that both her brother and her father teased her about just yanking it out. No matter how much Abigail chastised them when the little girl clung to her skirts in terror, the boys wouldn't stop. By the time the little tooth looked about ready to fall out at the slightest breeze, Mary was too afraid to even touch it.

But within the hour, the tooth pop out at Mary's little nudge. And when she was still so terrified even when it was out, Jack decided to step in. Funny as it was to tease her, he felt bad that it had her so scared.

"Don't you know what this means?" He questioned in a conspiring whisper. When she shook her head, he gave an amazed smile. "Mom and Da never told you? It means a visit from the Tooth Fairy!"

The Tooth Fairy was a fairly new idea that came to their village, but it enchanted the children instantly. As soon as a tooth was lost, the kids would tuck it under their pillows before been. And the following morning there would be a shiny silver piece of eight in place of the tooth. Enthusiasm spread through the village like wild fire and in less than a month, every child believed in the Tooth Fairy.

"I want to see!" Mary insisted for the five millionth time as they prepared for bed.

"She only comes if you're asleep, Mary."

"I want to see her, Jack!"

Jack groaned in exasperation and ran a hand through his hair. Not worth it, he told himself, just find a compromise.

"Tell you what, if I see her, I'll wake you up. Sound good?"

Mary put in a moment of serious thought, scrunching her little face up tightly – and that erased any annoyance Jack might have managed to hold onto – before nodding and settling under the covers. Jack smile and ran his fingers through her hair, very thick and deep brown now. Little Mary was growing up. Sighing at the thought, Jack walked to his own bed just across from hers and fell into the covers.

He woke to the feel of a small breeze over his face. Stirring awake as he peeked an eye open, Jack saw a flash of bluish green dart across the room. Forcing himself not to bolt up and scare the little thing off, Jack slowly turned to watch it.

The little streak of color zipped to his sister’s bed. And then back to his window in the blink of an eye. Acting fast, Jack bolted up and cupped the blur gently in his hands. The little thing fluttered in his hands, soft like a butterfly. Keeping his hands firmly closed but gentle as not to hurt the little bird thing, Jack made his way over to Mary.

"Mary, wake up. Look."

The little girl slowly shifted to the waking world.  She lit the little lamp at her bed side, and when she saw Jack crouched next to her, her big eyes lit up in joy. She scrambled up on her knees and settled in front of him, peeking at his cupped hands in interest and thrill.

"Is it her? What does she look like? Can I see?!"

Jack shushed gently to put an end to the rapid fire questions. Once she was quiet, Jack slowly pushed his hands forward and moved his thumbs apart in a gap big enough for Mary to see. Inside was a mini bird woman that easily fit in the palm of Jack's one hand. She looked like something between a hummingbird and a pretty lady. Her body was a mix of blue and green feathers with a beautiful, single golden feather on her forehead just above her eyes. She huddled against Jack's fingers and clutched the little tooth to her chest as she looked up at the two children.

"She's so pretty," Mary whispered. "Can we keep her?"

The little fairy didn't like that and gave a little tweet and peck at Jack's hand to show it. Jack jerked and squeaked at the small pain but kept his hold firm. Then he looked to Mary and shook his head. The little girl sagged and pouted so Jack chewed his lip and pondered over the best way to explain.

"Mary, look at her." He cracked the space between his thumbs again, showing the distressed little bird flittering in his palms. "Does she look very happy?" The little girl studied the tiny fairy and shook her head. "Why do you think that is?" A shrug. "Do you think she has somewhere she wants to be?"

"A home?"

Jack nodded. "Probably with a family missing her, too." Granted he didn't know that for sure, but it was possible. "Would you like it you were kept away from your family: from mom and Da and me?" The girl shook her head frantically, horrified by the idea. "Then is it fair to do that to her?" Another head shake, this one accompanied by misted eyes. "So, what should we do?"

"Let her go home," she answered, looking close to tears.

Jack smiled and placed a kiss on her brow. Such a good girl, his baby sister. Caring so much for the world around her.

"Alright, go open the window for me?"

Mary nodded and shuffled over to Jack's window. Once it was opened, Jack gently climbed onto his mattress and stuck his cupped hands into the cool air. Then he slowly opened his hands and let the little fairy zoom out. The fairy hovered in front of the siblings for a moment, and Mary waved sweetly. The little fairy waved back and zipped away.

The two stood at the window until the cold wind made them shiver and Jack closed the window. The he led his sister back to her bed and tucked her back in.

"That was something, wasn't it?"

Mary nodded and snuggled down. Jack shook her shoulder as she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Hey, we gotta keep this secret," he told her.

"Why?"

"Because this is a special night, just for us. And if everyone else knows…."

"Not special," she finished.

"Exactly. So, promise?" He asked, holding his pinky out.

"Yeah," she agreed, hooking her pinky with his.

She didn't fully understand it; he hadn't either when he was her age. In theory, it sounded like something everyone should know about. But it was important to keep meetings like this, and the Easter Bunny rescue and the Angel Lady that he still remembered clearly from years ago, secret. He still didn't get why, but it was very, very important. So he would keep the secret, and he would make sure Mary did too.

#

It was just after her seventh birthday that Mary started getting the nightmares. At first no one paid it much mind. Mary became crabby – more so than your normal seven year old – and developed ever growing dark circles under her eyes. But at first the elder members of the house just thought it a drop in mood due to a growth spurt – after all, she had been eating quite a bit lately. Even Jack, who shared the same room, wasn't aware of the problem until she told him. It was the middle of the night when she woke him with the request to sleep in the bed with him. He allowed it with no hesitation, and once she was settled, he asked what was wrong.

"The Boogeyman's under my bed."

The answer chilled him to the bone. Jack hadn't seen the shadow monster since his meet with the Sandman, but he never forgot him. Jack never forgot the meets with any of the extraordinary beings he met, no matter how long ago he saw them. And while many of the things he saw were wonderful and beautiful, his experience with the Boogeyman was hard proof of the terrible things in the world.  The thought that the monster was now bothering his sister made Jack’s stomach turn. So he let her sleep with him that night, and the night following, while he tried to form a plan.

Mary was just as stubborn as he was at her age; it was only a matter of time before she tried to avoid sleep altogether, just like he had. So he had to figure out a solution before that happened.

When had the Boogeyman left him alone? First after he kept Tiger Hunter in the room with him and then after the Sandman's promise of protection. Both times he felt safe knowing the two were watching over him and hadn't worried about the Boogeyman; so the shadow monster hadn't bothered him again. Because he'd had protectors, he realized. Talismans, lucky charms. Protectors, he thought again as he dropped off into sleep, with a plan slowly forming in his mind.

The next night, he convinced Mary to sleep in her own bed. At first, the seven-year old was very opposed to the idea, pleading to stay with Jack, to not have to sleep all by herself and it broke Jack's heart. He still very clearly remembered being in the same situation, when he was just a little bit younger than she. Afraid to go to sleep, afraid to even close his eyes because he knew the monster under his bed was just waiting for him to do just that. And when it was him, Jack’s mother had just forced him into bed, told him to stop being so ridiculous.  Adult’s weren’t capable of understanding things like the Boogeyman the way kids could, and Jack could understand that now.   But as a little boy, it had made him even more afraid.  Because it made him alone. And he wouldn't do that to Mary.

"Mary," he whispered, trying to hide the tear-clogged roughness of his voice, "it's going to be alright. You're going to be safe. And you know why?" When she shook her head, Jack gave his now signature grin and was pleased when she smiled back. "Because the Boogeyman wouldn't dare mess with me," he declared, smiling sweetly when she let out a full laugh. Then he grew serious, holding her shoulders and looking her right in the eyes.

"I'm your brother, Mary. And as long as I'm here, you'll always be safe. I'll protect you."

The words echoed what Da had said to him when he was the one shivering on the bed, afraid to go to sleep. And just like with him, Mary was relaxed enough to settle into sleep. Jack sat with her for a moment stroking her hair and watching her sleep before he moved back to his own bed. There he sat perched on the edge, staring intently at the darkness under his sister's bed. He blew out the candle next to his bed and then resumed his staring. And waited.

He stayed awake long through the night, until his eyes felt so heavy he could hardly keep them open. Despite his promise, Jack was on the verge of dosing off when he saw the shadow beneath his sister's bed shift and pool. He was off the bed as soon as he recognized what was happening. There he stood, defensively in front of the sleeping girl, watching the shadow grow into a human-like form.

"Leave my sister alone," he demanded as soon as the Boogeyman took solid form.

The Boogeyman jerked, eyes wide in surprise. Then he smiled sharply and leaned down until they were all but nose to nose. Jack's heart rate jumped up a notch but he kept his glare steady.

"Well, well. I'd thought you'd forgotten me."

"Stay away from her," Jack said again.

"Now, why would I do that? You won't give me any time, but your sister—"

"You stay away from her!" He snapped, placing himself more firmly between the two. "You're not getting anyway near her."

"Is that a fact?"

"I won't let you."

"Really? And how do you plan to do that?"  The Boogeyman sneered, and looked Jack up and down.

"I'll protect her."

The Boogeyman laughed as the boy, just twelve years old, jutted his skinny chest out. The boy was in the middle of a growth spurt of adolescence, his limbs stringy and thin and the rest of him just as lanky. He was hardly threatening as he stood in front of the bed. But he still managed to block him every time the Boogeyman tried to move around the skinny boy, and annoyance quickly replaced amusement.

"Move, boy," he ordered sharply.

Jack just shook his head and cross his arms stubbornly. He clenched his jaw and stared the Boogeyman down, fully ready to fight the larger, dark spirit if he so much as tried to get anywhere near his sleeping sister. All his defensive stance got from the Boogeyman was a harsh laugh.

"You think you can stop me? You think you could do anything?"

"Yes." A declaration more than a statement. Strong-minded and determined.

The Boogeyman laughed in disbelief. This boy….to think he could do such a thing. It was laughable as much as it was aggravating.

"You couldn't stand against me," he snarled, looming over the lanky boy. "I could drive you mad in an instant. I am the Boogeyman!"

Jack, surprisingly, wasn't even remotely effected by the display. Even as the shadows whipped around him, Jack felt not even a tremor of fear. Instead, he was just ever more determined to banish the thing from his home. Jaw once again clenched in resolve, Jack marched forward and shoved hard on the Boogeyman's chest. The tall shadow creature stumbled back, looking laughably shocked.

Only because laughing would destroy his image of cold strength did Jack resist the temptation.

"You're not welcome here," he growled, actually advancing the monster under the bed and forcing him to stumble back, much to Jack's satisfaction. See how you like to be afraid, he thought viciously. "And I'm not afraid of you. Now get. Out!"

He pushed the man, who suddenly seemed much more human than a monster worth fearing, back once more with that final snarl. The shadows wrapped around the Boogeyman as he stumbled back, and he was gone in an instant.  The heavy darkness in the room lifted.  For a moment, Jack just stood there, muscles still tense and breathing still heavy. Then elation slowly over took the tension and he almost jumped for joy. Running to his bed, he re-lit the candle to fully reveal the empty room.

He did it! He chased away the Boogeyman! And that time he did jump for joy, giving a happy shout before he could stop himself.

"Jack?" Mary asked groggily from her bed, blinking at the bright light.

"Sorry, Mary. Go back to sleep."

The little girl happily obliged before he even finished the sentence. Jack snuffed out the candle and did the same, snuggling into his bed and smiling proudly as he drifted off.

He never saw the Boogeyman again.

X

It seemed that tragedy was to become a leading event in Jack's life. And it would change him forever.

It was mid-summer, just a few weeks after Jack fully banished the Boogeyman –an action he was both very proud of and very upset he couldn't share with his friends – that the Terror Squad set out into the dark woods for their favorite game. Even though Jack's mother had only come up with the nickname as a tease for the boys' rambunctious behavior, they still accepted it with open arms. Having a group name made it all the more fun.

The four moved like a single organism as they jogged through the woods; they had been together so long, it was second nature. The twins and Jack had had play dates since before they could walk, their families had known each other since before the boys were born. And when Aidan joined their group at five he'd been accepted instantly, swept into the group with no hesitation. The boys were united under mischief, closer than brothers.

His brothers had all under gone changes recently, Jack noticed. They'd all grown significantly taller and the twins, who'd just turned thirteen in the fall, were developing the beginnings manhood. They both had a good half a head over Aidan and Jack, and Charlie, the brunette twin, even had the beginnings of facial hair around his lip and chin. The fact rather irked the rest of the boys, especially Chris, who thought it his duty to out-do his brother in everything they did.

In contrast to the bulking change of the twins, Jack and Aidan were in a rather awkward stage of their growth. Both were lanky and thin, with arms and legs that stretched on forever and slim torsos. In fact, they almost looked like twins themselves. However, the fact that they were both still so small was a constant source of torment from the twins.

But then, the fact that Jack and Aidan could outrun the twins without even trying made up for it. Especially in times like this, when the two could sit there waiting at their destination to gloat when the twins arrived long after them.

"'Bout time," Jack joked, earning a glare from his friends.

"Alright, who's going first?" Charlie asked – when he got his breath back, that is.

Just a few feet away from their crouched positions was old man Barnes' little cottage. If the man was reclusive before, he was a full on hermit now. He never came out of his cottage, not even for supplies from the market. The man lived in complete isolation. Which meant that the Terror Squad just had to go more out of their way to torment him. The boys' all-time favorite game was to snag small trinkets from his porch, be they plants he kept in pots or knives he left or even decayed bits of his house, and then retreat with them before the old man noticed.  It was an ever escalating competition. The best points were earned by getting Barnes' attention and getting him to stick his head out so the others could see his face, throbbing vein and all. No one had managed to do that yet, though.

It was a great game, one they snuck out to play almost every night.

"I went first last time," Jack protested.

"Guys, this isn't a good idea."

"Grow a back bone, O'Shea," Chris snarked.

"Aidan, it's just a bit of fun," Jack threw in.

"It's mean," the red-head countered.

Aidan was always the most reluctant of the group to engage in any mischievous endeavors. Level headed and cautious, he often claimed he only went along with the other three to ensure they survived their wild adventures. Like a mother hen.

He claimed the games to be rude, or dangerous, or mean – and yeah, okay, maybe they were. But it never stopped him from coming along, and in the end the other three boys always managed to convince him to join in. And he always had fun, no matter how much he griped.

"If you don't want to play, O'Shea, fine. Go home then," Charlie ordered.

Aidan blushed and he thinned his lips in a stubborn display as he settled into the brush. Yeah, that always did the trick, Jack though with a smile.

"Go on, Overland," Chris urged, snapping Jack of his thoughts.

"I went first last time!"

"So what, this was your idea."

"Just go, man," Charlie pressured.

"No way. It's someone else's turn."

Point made, Jack settled stubbornly on the ground. Realizing they weren't going to change his mind, the twins launched into a competitive argument about which one of them was going first. Jack was always the first to dash up to the porch, and it was always his idea to play. So the game was a lot scarier when they weren't following his lead. After several minutes of watching the two shove each other and try to taunt one another into going first, Aidan just rolled his eyes and dashed out of the bush, leaving his friends gaping in amazement. The lanky red-head made away with a half-finished wind chime, with no alarms set off with the old man. He was breathless and laughing excitedly when he crashed down next to them.

"Alright O'Shea! I take the back-bone comment back!" Chris declared, patting the boy on the back. Aidan just laughed and shook his head, getting a better grip on his prize.

"Alright, who's next?" Jack pressed.

The twins exchanged a look a decided to solve the problem of who-went-first by doing it the same way they did everything: at the same time. The two bolted from the bushes and to the cottage in sync, pushing and tripping one another until they both collapsed on the porch. The both grabbed their trinkets –Charlie a hunting knife a Chris a deer antler – when the windows illuminated with candle light. The two barely scrambled to the cover of the bushes when Old Man Barnes stepped out.

He glanced around in an angry squint, his pruned face wrinkling hilariously, before stumbling back inside, shouting that he 'knew they were there, the little shits'. The two boys let out relived breaths and examined their trinkets.

"Way to go, Bennett. Zs," Jack added, angry and annoyed –this last name code-name thing was still new to their Squad. It was still kind of hard to get a handle on—the old man still hadn't turned out the light after the twins woke him. Meaning he was probably sitting in there waiting for one of them to come up so he could snatch them. What he would do after was left to speculation, but it was assured to be very ugly.

"Relax, Overland. All you have to do is snatch something without him getting you and you'll get double the points," Charlie assured.

"But if he does catch you, he'll cook you up in a pot and eat you," Chris added.

The other three boys sent him identical looks of bewilderment and horror. Okay, that was defiantly not on anyone else's list of the things the old man would do if they were caught.

"Yeah.”  Charlie said after an awkward moment of silence.  He swallowed heavily and patted Jack’s shoulder.  “Good luck Overland,"

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Aidan said in his typically timid voice.

"Will you shut up and try to have a little fun, O'Shea?" Chris shot back.

Jack ignored the outbreak of quiet bickering, and looked at the cottage hesitantly before sighing and moving up into a crouched position. He sent the twins a mock serious look.

"If I die, I'm coming back to haunt you two," he promised before jumping up and racing to the cottage.

He wasn't even half way up the porch when the door was flung open, revealing an eerily calm Mr. Barnes.  His rifle was in hand and aimed at Jack. The boy's legs gave out in surprise and he scrambled away on his belly off the porch. He bolted back up to run when he heard the loud crack of a gun- shot, realizing numbly the Mr. Barnes had tried to shoot him. He looked up to where the others urged him on from the bushes and bolted over as the old man attempted to reload his rifle. They withdrew into the trees, ignoring the old man's angry demands for them to come back so he could give them all a proper whooping.

When they were out of sight of the cottage Jack all but collapsed in relief, trembling and breathing hard. That was not how the evening was supposed to go, he thought in a numb bitterness. Only when the trembling of his limbs receded with the rush of adrenaline – giving the situation a much more pleasing spin in the haze it brought – did Jack realize he was very alone. The four boys had scattered when they reached the trees, splitting up as they scrambled away. And none of the others were in sight. Keeping his panic tightly under control, Jack crept slowly back the way he came.

They couldn't have gone too far, right? They had to be near-by, he assured himself. Because the idea of being in these dark woods alone was far too frightening to consider. They were close, they were close, he repeated to himself in a mantra. They were close. He only resisted calling for them out of fear that something else would hear him. And he knew from experience that there were dangerous things lurking in the shadows.

Then, to his immense relief, he saw Aidan. Seeing the other boy huddled against the tree—vibrant red hair all but glowing in the dark just like the first time they met – chased away all the unease and dread that had wedged itself in his chest. It was immediately replaced by a similar cold; after all, Aidan was near terrified. Where were the others? Were they alright? How would he get home?

The swirling thoughts curled in Jack’s gut. But the unpleasant sensation was overshadowed by the relief of seeing his friend unharmed. And the seed of mischief that wiggled into his mind. Aidan hadn't registered his presence, too focused on the darkness ahead of him. It was almost too easy.

Biting his lip to prevent any giggling, Jack crept up behind his friend and heavily smacked him on the shoulder, yelling 'Hi Aidan!'. The high pitched shriek the other boy let out had Jack doubling over in laughter. Oh, that was too good! He smiled cheekily when Aidan turned to him with an icy glare.

"Is there a little girl out here who needs help?"

Jack smiled and Aidan rolled his eyes as the twins joined them. Matching pairs of deep brown eyes twinkled in amusement as they zeroed in on the redhead.

"It wasn' that bad," Aidan muttered in objection, the tips of his ears burning. Like always when he was upset or embarrassed, Aidan's accent thickened until it was almost impossible to understand him. And like always, the twins prepared to pounce on him for it.

"I can't believe the old man tried to shoot us." Jack moved first and the twins gave nervous laughs as they agreed with the point.

"Well, you do have an uncanny ability to annoy people," Chris said with a laugh.

"Me?!" Jack said in mock-surprise, lifting his eyebrows.

"You're the one he shot at."

"Only because you two were crashing around like bears!"

"Don't try to pin this on us!" Charlie defended, still laughing.

"Then don't blame me!"

The three boys began to shove each other, still throwing playful insults.  They laughed with increasing volume until Aidan nudged his way between them.

"Guys, that was crazy dangerous."

"And the mood killer strikes again," Chris muttered.

"I'm serious."

"You're always serious, O'Shea."

"Chris, we could have been killed! I don't think we should bother Goodman Barnes so much."

"And I think we should work on getting that stick out of your—"

"Come on, you had to have had a little bit of fun," Jack interrupted.

Aidan shuffled in discomfort when all eyes zoomed to him and licked his lips in a nervous gesture. There was no point in lying; they would all know. So he sighed and rubbed is arm as the blush returned full force.

"I've never felt so alive." The confession was barely above a whisper, but the other boy's still heard it.

They broke into shouts, patting Aidan roughly on the back and giving him one armed hugs. Aidan smiled at the attention and returned the gestures. As much as they bothered him and tormented him, they loved him, and he loved them back. And really, what were brothers for?

Jack smiled and gave Aidan a friendly hit to the shoulder before glancing up at the sky. Dawn was fast approaching. Time to break up the love and head home, he decided.

"Alright, we've got to go home before we're skinned for being out this late," he informed them.

There was no arguing with that logic. So the boys headed back to the village with no protest, declaring Jack the winner of that night's game for drawing the old man out, even though they'd all lost their trinkets in their mad dash to get away. They were admittedly anything but quiet as they moved, shoving one another and laughing and launching into mock arguments; it was all good fun. But, as Jack thought it would, the noise drew attention from within the trees.

Jack felt it coming. The wind shifted to announce the presence of the threat, and Jack turned just in time to get a glimpse of it. He jerked Charlie and Chris to the side, motioning for Aidan to follow.  Luckily, the other boy did so without question, and the four boys were hidden in the shadows just as Old Man Barnes made his way out of the trees.  The old man still had his rifle out, and he scanned the darkness with skills honed by years of hunting. 

Jack had the feeling he wasn’t the only one who knew what prey the old man was looking for.  The boys shrank further into the shadows as Barnes moved closer, searching for them.  They moved back through the brush until the man was out of sight.  The boys sat quietly in the shadows, shivering as the true danger of the situation dawned on them.

"What do we do?" Charlie asked.

Jack bit his lip and tried to think past all the terror buzzing through the air. This was bad, and it was all his fault.  They were in danger because of him.  If anything happened to his brothers, it was going to be because Jack brought them out here.  Which meant it was up to him to get them out of it.  Jack took a focusing breath and met Charlie's gaze.

"Alright, here's what we do," he began. "You and Chris get back to the village, get help out here. Me and Aidan will distract him while you go."

"We will?"

While the twins were more than willing to follow Jack's lead on this, Aidan wasn't so confident. The fact that Jack's plan involved him staying there had him very nervous.

"Yeah. Don't worry, we're experts at this."

"We are?"

"Uh, yeah," Jack repeated, tone implying it should have been obvious.  The incident with the monster in these same woods was fuzzier in Aidan’s mind than in Jack’s, but the other boy quickly connected the dots.  His eyes widened with realization and then disbelief.

"That was one time and we were four."

"Five."

"Whatever!"

The other boys insistently shushed him as his cry rang out in the quiet night. The crunch of leaves under feet marked Barnes’ approach as he came closer, and Jack pinned the twins under his gaze. The two snapped to attention, ready for command. The smaller boy motioned for them to wait and studied the rocks around them until he found one about the size of his hand. He turned it over gently before chucking it to his right. It made a loud 'thunk' and, just as Jack hoped, the footsteps moved off to follow it.

"Go," he ordered. Then he turned to Aidan and placed on hand on his shoulder as the twins darted off. "Go with them, Aidan. It'll be alright," he promised.

The other boy stared at him, distraught, and Jack gave him a reassuring smile.  Then despite the terror weighing on him, Jack slipped on his belly, slowly pulling himself along the ground for a better look at the man's position. Barnes was investigating the bush in which the rock had landed, poking at it with the barrel of his gun. Maybe if he was quiet enough, Barnes would move off to a different part of the woods when he didn’t find anything, Jack mused.  But then, what was to stop him from finding the other boys?  And if Jack tried to keep him distracted, and in this part of the woods, the chances were that Barnes would find Jack and –

 A small tap on his shoulder nearly had Jack jumping out his skin, barely holding in a scream. He whirled around, and let out a sigh of relief when his eyes met Aidan's. Then his brow furrowed in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, keeping his voice at a hushed whisper.

"I'm here to help. I'm with you, dheartháir."

A small bit of Jack’s terror lifted at the endearment. Even though they'd been away from their native land for nearly a decade, both Aidan and his father slipped into Gaelic when using such terms for loved ones. As they both often swapped languages when talking to Jack, he'd had Aidan explain the ones they used most often as well as a handful of other terms. This one meant 'brother'.

"All right,’ Jack swallowed, and took a deep breath.  “Ok, you move over there," he decided, motioning to the large tree opposite to them. "Hide there and watch him, but don't let him see you. The best thing we can do is wait and keep quiet.  Hopefully he’ll think we’re gone, and he’ll move off.  Then we can catch up with the twins."

Aidan nodded and studied the distance between their current hiding spot and the tree.  There wasn’t much cover, and the route sent Aidan right past where Barnes was searching. The exposure made him uneasy.

Jack gave his hand a squeeze for reassurance, just like he had when they were kids. Both a gesture of comfort and a promise that they would make it out this time as well.

"Be brave," he encouraged.

"Be safe," Aidan countered, but he smiled shakily and moved off.  He slipped onto his belly and crawled along the ground toward the tree.

Jack watched him go, his heart pounding. If Barnes looked just an inch to his right— He shook the thought away. No point in thinking like that, he told himself, it wouldn't happen. But still, the fear lingered in Jack’s chest as he watched his friend move further and further away from his reach, and his help.  Aidan was within reach of the tree when Barnes cocked his head ever-so-slightly. Jack's heart froze. A dozen panicked thoughts raced through his mind.  He'd seen Aidan, or had somehow been tipped him off to the boy's presence. Either way, Jack knew in his gut that Barnes knew Aidan was there.

He didn't think. On the edge of hyperventilating, Jack simply snatched the closest thing that would fit in his hand and threw it, no target in mind. It ended up striking the old man in the back of his bald, liver spotted head.  Barnes whipped around, eyes now focused on Jack's hiding spot.  Jack slid down onto his belly and forced himself to remain still and quiet. The old man crept closer and Jack's heart pounded. Don't find me, he pleaded. Don't find me.

Everything happened very fast. The man came so close Jack could make out the pattern of his shoes, could hear his breathing, feel the warmth of his life radiating over him. Then he heard Aidan scream his name from behind the man. He had only an instant – half a second, really –to feel overwhelming dread and fear for the other boy before Barnes turned on his heels, too quickly not to have known where Aidan was, and a deafening boom sounded in the night.

"NO!" It was half scream and half sob as Jack rushed to his feet.

Jack pushed the man aside as he darted past him.  The old man titled with the blow, and then fell to the ground.  Jack paid him no mind as he rushed to his fallen friend.

Aidan was crumpled on the ground, gasping as he lay on his back.  Even in the near total darkness, Jack could see that the center of his chest was already soaked with blood.  Jack's heart trembled, all air left his lungs and his knees could no long hold him. He blinked back tears while he studied Aidan's chest, the blood seeping from destroyed skin. Jack's stomach churned. His arm was halfway out, reaching for his friend – to do what exactly, he wasn't sure – when he heard Barnes climb to his feet.

Jack turned to glare at him, snarling as he too rose to his feet.  Barnes grinned back, but he was heavily on the gun, like he couldn’t stand on his own.  Probably hurt his hip in the fall, Jack thought.  Good!

Barnes breathed heavily, like he couldn’t get proper air into his lungs.  But he was still smiling. Like Jack’s friend bleeding and gasping for breath on the ground was something to be proud of.  “Teach you little Cretans to disrespect your elders.”

Jack's fingernails dug into his palm.  A spike of cold rage dug into the center of his forehead, like an icy nail, cold and deadly.  He stared Barnes down, and the old man stared back.  He didn’t attempt to reload, or retreat.  He just continued to hold Jack’s gaze, and suck in trembling breathes.  The anger became Jack’s whole world, blocking out everything else. Somewhere in the distance, he felt the wind whip around him to match his fury.

He wasn't normally a violent person; his Da had taught him that violence was the path of the idiot. And he always thought that violence in retribution was inexcusable, no matter what. Violence in protection? Maybe, but retribution was an idiot coward's way by Jack's thinking.

 But right now, none of that mattered. This man had hurt his friend. For whatever reason he thought justified it, Barnes had hurt Aidan; his friend, his brother. And Jack wanted him to pay for it. To bleed, to burn for it. Jack wasn't sure what inspire him to do so, but he let that thought mix with the force at the center of his head, let it give the pressure direction. Then he closed his eyes, and pushed the force forward and out of his head. And toward the man.

The pressure that was his intense rage ripped out of Jack’s head.  The sudden absence left him lightheaded and swaying on his feet, somewhat giddy. His vision darkened, and he could hear someone screaming somewhere beyond his senses. By the time his eyes cleared, the screaming had stopped and he glanced around, mildly confused.

Barnes was curled in a ball at Jack's feet – when had Jack moved forward? – eyes blank and mouth gaping, opening and closing, forming what might have been silent words. Or maybe he was just trying to breathe. Jack should have felt something: fear, confusion, disgust, anything. But all he felt was numb and he stepped away the man without a thought, and over to Aidan.

Aidan was still fighting to get his breath.  The front of his shirt was now completely soaked with Aidan’s blood.  He swallowed wetly, and his throat gurgled as he tried to speak.  Jack's heart took another plummet at the sight of blood on his friend's – brother's – lips.  The numbness that had settled over Jack’s mind lifted as the terror of Aidan’s situation registered. 

“Oh god.  Oh god.”  Jack’s voice cracked as he pressed his hands onto the center of Aidan’s chest, trying to stem the blood flow.  The other boy’s chest gave way under the pressure, so that Jack’s hands sank into his friend’s rib-cage.  Jack barely managed to avoid snatching his hands away at the sickening feeling.  But even as he kept a steady pressure against Aidan’s wound, blood still seeped between his fingers. 

He looked down at Aidan in panic.

"Aidan I don't, I don't know what to do.  I don't know what to do."

Aidan stared back at him, tired and frighten and slipping away, and wordlessly pulled Jack's arm around his shoulder. Message received, Jack gathered the other boy in his arms and tucked the crop of red hair under his chin, while he kept on hand pressed tightly against the wound. All Jack could think to do was hold the other boy; so that's what he did. Hold him and keep him talking, keep him awake until help came.  If Jack could do that, everything would be okay.  Everything would be okay.

Aidan’s body was feverishly warm were it was tucked against Jack, and his heart was fluttering frantically under his hand.  Tears burned along the edges of Jack’s eyes.

"Aidan I, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," he wailed, rocking the other boy gently.

"No. No, not you're, you're fault.”  Aidan’s voice was barely more than a whisper, and wetly thick.

"Yes, yes it is. I brought you out here, I wanted you to stay. I let him see you. It's all my fault!"

"No."

Jack swallowed to prevent another denial.  “Don’t try to talk.  You’ve got to preserve your strength.  You just need to hold on a little while longer.  The twins must have made it back by now, and they bring help.  It’s going to be okay.”  If he kept saying it, it just might come true.  It was stupidly naïve, but Jack found himself clinging to the thought.                                   

Aidan suddenly went boneless in Jack’s arms.  His pallor was whiter than normal, his eyes were lidded. His breath slowed and Jack felt his heart fall to his stomach as he frantically shook the other boy. "Aidan, Aidan! No, nononono, you need to stay awake. Help's on the way just stay awake Aidan!"

Aidan’s eyes flickered, despite Jack’s attempts. He grew weaker and his breathing became slower and more labored.

"Help!" Jack’s voice was reedy and panicked as it echoed in the trees.  "Help us, please.  Somebody please help, help!"

Aidan's brought a shaky hand up to rest on the one Jack had on his chest.  His cloudy gaze met Jack's.  He forced another gurgling breath into his lungs.

"Jack, mo dheartháir—"

 Aidan was gone before he could finish the sentence. Limp in Jack’s arms and still. And just gone.  It happened so fast that for a moment Jack could only stare in disbelief, eyes wide and horrified. Then the truth of it sank in and he wailed, and gathered Aidan close and rocked him.

There was a sudden crunch of leaves across from them.  The sound of a body climbing up from the ground.  Jack hunched over Aidan, protectively cradling the other boy’s head to his chest while he did his best to block Aidan’s body from view.  Directly across from them, Barnes made his way to his feet.  Jack desperately felt around for a weapon.  His fingers closed around a large stone.  It was sharp around the edges and it cut into the meat of Jack’s palm as he brandished it.

“Back off,” he shouted.  “Get away, get away from us!”

Barnes stared at something in the distance over Jack’s head.  Then he walked into the trees, without saying a word.  Jack watched him go, partially confused and partially frightened.  But more than anything, he felt increasingly numb.

He stayed hunched over Aidan, unable to move, for much of the night.  They weren't found until sunrise.

Jack was numbed by shock when the sun lit the sky. His arms were stiff and his legs deadened from kneeling. But he felt nothing. He just sat there, cradling his dead brother and staring off into the distance. It was silent for a long time and Jack was almost certain that the forest itself seemed to be mourning.  

When he heard the crunch of approaching footsteps, it immediately had him on edge and feeling more alive than he had in hours. He clutched Aidan close to him, and lifted his make-shift weapon again.  Ahead of him, something, several somethings, were approaching.  Jack couldn't recognize them; they were shadowed and blurred, rippling like they were wrapped in water.

Someone gave a scream – was it him?—and Aidan was torn from his arms before Jack could react. He snarled and lunged forward, determine to take back his brother. Because if Aidan wasn't in his arms, he couldn't protect him. And if he couldn't protect him…. But his arms were restrained before he got too far.

He thrashed and he snarled, gnashed his teeth, screamed. He didn't know if he was screaming words or profanities or if he was just snarling like an animal. And it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he could hear people screaming his name past the ringing in his ears. It didn't matter that his arms were protesting the strain and aching horribly. Only getting to Aidan mattered.

"Jack, lad."

That voice, even though it was hardly a whisper and rough with tears and thick with a foreign accent, broke through Jack’s haze. He blinked away the tears blurring his vision and focused on the voice. The figure holding Aidan. The man – Goodman O'Shea, Jack finally realized – looked as if he'd peeked up from having his face buried in his son's hair during the commotion. His bright eyes were bloodshot with tears when they met Jack's gaze, his face devastated. Jack felt his own face crumple and sobs shook his frame from where they were trapped in his chest.

"I, I." His throat closed as he tried to speak, to apologize comfort, anything.

Aidan’s father smiled kindly, a sharp contrast to his shattered face, making him seem all the more devastated. "Take him home," he ordered softly, hiding his face back in Aidan's hair.

Jack kept his eyes on them as he was half led and half dragged away. The man’s shoulders jerked and shook as his sobs overtook him. Aidan was all he had, Jack realized with a start, and the boy had just been torn away from him. Jack's own tears burned in his eyes but didn't fall, by some force of his will or a block to protect his sanity, he didn't know. The burning persisted as he was led to town, where the villagers mulled around, only looking up at his arrival. He didn't know how he looked, but judging by the shocked expressions, he must have been a mess.

When they came to his home, the first thing Jack thought of was how much trouble he was in. Staying out until dawn when he should have been in bed; his parents were going to tear him a new one for this. The thought had him grinding to a halt before his escorts made it to his threshold. But Jack was too exhausted to put up a proper struggle, so he was pulled inside with no trouble. Inside, his mother, Mary, Charlie and Chris all huddled around the table. One of the men holding his arm cleared his throat to draw their attention.

The twins were the first to jump up and rush to him. They'd been crying, Jack noticed. Crying because they were worried. The thought made his eyes burn even more.

"Are you alright?"

"We thought you were dead!"

"It took them so long to find you, we thought it was too late."

"Where's, where's Aidan?"

Jack had no answers, especially that one, from Charlie. He just stared at them, gaping, eyes misted, heart in knots. It must have been answer enough, because the twins shook their heads in denial, pain shining in their eyes.

"Kids, why don't you go home," Abigail suggested with a deceptively calm voice, climbing to her feet.

"Where's Aidan?" Chris demanded, tears heavy in his voice.

"Come on boys, let's get you home," the men in the door way suggested, pulling the twins along even as they protested, Chris crying for Aidan's location in his denial.

Jack just stood in place, rooted to the ground. Charlie looked like he wanted to touch Jack's shoulder as he passed, but was afraid the other boy would shatter if he did. Jack wondered if he was right. His mind was jumbled, his emotions clouded. All he could do for certain was stand there. And stare dead ahead.

"Mary, why don't you go to your room?" Abigail moved into Jack's line of sight, and he locked onto her face.

Focusing on small details help banish the fog over his mind. Her face was angular yet soft; tanned and full. Her pretty hazel green eyes shone with worry and pain that she was trying to hide from her children, her short brown hair was messy from where she'd pulled at it in a nervous habit. She always did that when she had something on her mind.

"Is Jack okay?" The sound of Mary scared voice had Jack shaking to contain his tears because he would not cry in front of his little sister. He was supposed to be her protector and he couldn't be strong enough to do that if he broke down in front of her.

"He'll be fine, baby. Just go on, let me talk to him by myself."

Mary nodded and dashed to her room, unnerved by the long night with Jack gone only to have him come back like some kind of walking dead man. For a moment the two stood in silence. Then Abigail moved forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Jack," she began.

"Where's Da?" Jack interrupted, finally forcing his voice to work. William wasn't in the room, and Jack needed him; he needed his Da to tell him what to do.

"Honey."

"Where's Da? I need Da, where's Da?!" Jack's voice jumped up an octave and trembled. The tears finally slip down his cheeks and he sobbed, everything hitting him all at once, making him dizzy.

"It's all right, Honey."

"I need Da. Mommy, I need Da." His knees and he pitched forward, sobbing into his mother's chest as she lowered them to their knees. "Mommy," he sobbed again, clinging to her like the world would come apart if he let go.

"It's all right, baby. Everything's going to be all right," she soothed while Jack sobbed.

They sat there for hours, until Jack wept himself to exhaustion, and finally fell asleep.

X

It was snowing outside his window. The first snow of the season and for once, Jack felt none of his usual joy. He hadn't for a while now, not since….The Night.

Jack sighed and curled up on his bed, never taking his eyes off the window. He stroked Tiger Hunter half mindedly as he stared blankly into the distance. The dog was well past his prime, and as such he no longer went into the field. In fact he hardly left the house. Tiger Hunter was perfectly content to just lie around the house, ideally next to his master, especially now that the boy was so lost. And Jack was happy with the dog's constant company. It offered the best comfort Jack was going to get.

A knock at the door made him jump, but he chose to ignore it in favor of the window, and the snow outside.

"Jack?" Mary. Jack sighed and turned to face her. The little girl stood just outside their door sheepishly, holding a tray of steaming food.

"I brought you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry, little lady."

"But you need to eat; winter's starting."

"I'm not hungry, Mary," he repeated more firmly.

Nonetheless Mary placed the tray on his bed and climb up next to him. He smiled and ran a hand through a strand of her hair. She snuggled into his side with a smile, giving up on the food in favor of avoiding another fight.

Jack frowned at that as the thought fluttered against his mind. Yes he'd been a bit snippy since The Night, but he hadn't snapped at them that much. Had he?

"Da's here. He wants to talk to you," she informed him, breaking Jack away from his thoughts

That made him scowl. Now that was someone he had been snapping at as much as possible. And for good reason. Da had been away for nearly a year this time around. He'd come home just in time for Aidan's funeral, Jack thought angrily, at the end of fall when he'd left the previous spring.

"I don't want talk to him," Jack retorted.

"But Jack—"

"I don't want to talk to him, Mary!"

Mary recoiled and stared at him wide eyed. Jack stared back, just as shocked. Where had that come from? He never yelled at her. Feeling awkward now, Jack picked up the tray of food, both to try and make up for his attitude and because he attributed said attitude to the fact that he was hungry and just choosing to ignore it.

"Look, I don't really want to talk to anyone right now. I'm tired and a bit crabby."

Mary nodded in understanding, happy to have finally got him eating. She watched him for another couple of minutes, then kissed his cheek and bounced out. Jack watched her go with a smile before forcing himself to finish the meal. He was hungry and he did need to eat; he just didn't want food. He didn't want to do much of anything but sit and feel sad. It was stupid and he knew Aidan wouldn't approve, but he just couldn't bring himself to care.

He'd just finished the food, happy he'd decided to for having his belly pleasantly full, and was thinking about climbing into bed when the door opened again. Jack looked up, expecting Mary, and froze when he saw William instead. Then he scowled and climbed into bed, burrowing under the covers, hoping his father would get the idea. And when he felt his bed dip down, Jack figured he hadn't.

"Jack, what's been going on?" He began. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Jack hadn't spoken to his father since the man had shown up in the middle of Aidan's funeral. And he didn't plan on changing that any time soon.

"Jack, look, I understand that you're upset. What happened to Aidan it, it was awful. And I wish, I wish I was here—"

"Get out," Jack ordered softly, shaking in anger.

"Jack?"

"Get out!" He shouted it this time, sitting up to look William in the face as he did so. "You weren't there, you're never there!"

"Jack—"

"Get out! Get out, get out!"

Jack flopped down, hiding his face under the covers. William sat at his side in stunned silence for a moment before heeding the demand and leaving. Satisfied, Jack snuggled under the covers and went to sleep.

He woke some time later to the door opening again. He groaned and rubbed his eye in agitation, glancing at the window with bleary eyes. He guessed it to be the very beginning of evening; he'd fallen asleep at mid-day. But he still didn't want to get up just yet. So he flopped over to his other side, totally ignoring whoever was at the door.

"I said I didn't want to talk to anyone," he snapped, figuring the visitor to be either Mary or William.

"Well, I assume this is that teenage sullenness I've heard about. You just turned thirteen the other day, right lad?"

Jack bolted upright when he recognized the voice. Rian O'Shea leaned against the frame of his door, eyes amused over their underlying sadness. Jack felt a pang through his heart. This was the first time they'd seen each other since The Night, in the woods. He'd lost weight since then, Jack noticed. There were deep shadows under his eyes, so he obviously hadn't been sleeping well. His posture was slumped with the burden of grief, his face was perpetually sad.

"I, yeah," Jack managed to answer, finding it hard to speak to the man, as he had since The Night. "How are you?"

"Managing."

The two lapsed into silence, either staring at each other or glancing around the room. Jack wrung his hands nervously, making a full effort to avoid the adult's gaze.

"I haven't seen you out, lately," Rian said.

"It's winter."

"Never seen that stop you before."

Jack just shrugged. He kept his head down, even when Rian sat down next to him.

"I thought this might happen," the man muttered, running a hand through his hair.  "Jack, I'm leaving, come spring." At that, Jack finally looked up, disturbed and upset by the news. "I came here to make a better life for my Aidan. Now there's no reason for me to stay." It hurt too much to stay, is what he meant.

“Where will you go?” Jack said.

“Don’t know.  Heard there’s need for work up north, so I might head up that way.  But before I go, I think it's my job to deliver this message on Aidan's behalf."

Jack's brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the comment. Message from Aidan? What? Any other thought on the subject was jarringly interrupted by a swift hit to the side of the head. Not painful, but very surprising. He glanced up in shock, more confused than insulted or betrayed. The man held his gaze firmly.

"Get off yer mopin' English arse and get over yerself!"

Jack blinked dumbly for a second before he broke down into belly shaking laughter. Aidan wouldn't have said that, exactly, but the message was totally something he would do. Especially after Jack had done something particularly stupid. Rian joined in on the laughter and after so long under the dark cloud of depression, neither of them couldn't stop for a moment. They were both breathless by the time they tapered off into giggles and finally reigned those in as well. They slipped back into silence; Rian was the first to break it.

"Aidan wouldn't want you to stop living yer life because he's gone. He'd be right pissed, lad."

"I know. It's just hard."

"I understand lad. I imagine it will be for quite some time. But we have to be strong. And it will be easier if you don't push away those close to you." Rian took both of Jack's hands, drawing his gaze, angry scowl and all. "Jack, I know you want someone to blame. I do too. But you have to understand; the only one to blame for this is the man who shot Aidan.  Not yours, or anyone else’s.”

Jack jerked his hands back and tucked them to his chest, feeling the sudden need to cry again. It wasn't that Jack wanted someone to blame; he knew that it was just a horrible tragedy.  He knew that Barnes was the one who hurt Aidan, and when they found him, Barnes would be punished.  Jack didn't know why he was so angry, but it wasn't because he was blaming anyone. He just was. Rian let out what sounded like a disappointed breath as he rose to his feet.

"Just think about it," he urged, ruffling Jack's hair as he left the room.

He left at the beginning of spring, just as he said. Jack never saw him again.

X

Jack's mood darkened more and more by the day. He would avoid sleep because he saw Aidan when he was asleep. He didn't eat because the dreams took his appetite. He became quick to anger, paranoid, easily upset. It came to the point that his parents feared for his sanity. All the while, Jack's attitude toward his father grew steadily worse. When he wasn't completely ignoring William, he was snapping at the man at every word or gesture.

It all came to a boil a few weeks after Rian O’Shea left the village.  Jack wasn’t sure what triggered it, but he figured that it must have been what Goodman O’Shea said before he left.  Barnes was the one who… was responsible for The Night.  And he needed to be punished.  The second that thought crossed his mind, Jack pushed away from the table and stalked to the door.

"Where are you going?" His mother called, and Jack instinctively came to a stop.

"To spend time with the twins." A viable answer; they hadn't spent any time together since The Night.

"You should stay for dinner," William objected.

"Not hungry."

William jumped up from his position at the table, and caught Jack's arm before he made it out the door.  He turned the boy to face him, and frowned.

"You should stay," he repeated.

"I want to see my friends."

"You need to spend time with your family."

"You never do. And I shouldn't take advice from hypocrites."

He received a slap for that. It wasn't very hard, just enough to get the point across and it wasn't the first time Jack's parents had done so. However, it was rare; William and Abigail were very lenient on their punishments. It made the slap sting more than it normally would have.

William sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jack, please. We're all going through difficult times. Don't make it any harder."

Jack glowered up at him and yanked his arm free, bolting away before William could grabbed it back. He ignored his parents' calls for him and made his way through town. He found the twins in little time; they were mulling about just outside their house, just as he thought they would be.

"Hey, look at you; out and about," Chris called when he caught sight of the other boy.

Jack nodded as he came to them, genuinely happy to see the two. But now was time for business, not pleasantries. He made his way up to them, eyes serious.

"You guys want to play the game?"

The twins followed him with some hesitation. Jack suppose he may have been acting some-what insane, and that he was frightening them. But he couldn't spare much thought for feeling bad about scaring his friends. He was on a mission.

They came to the cottage with practiced ease, crouching the bushes a few feet away. It looked deserted. That didn't matter, Jack assured himself. This would work with or without the old man actually inside. He looked to the twins, who were both shivering in the cold post-winter air, and smiled in what was supposed to be reassurance. It came out as more of a terrifying grin.

"Who wants to go first?"

The twins exchanged uneasy glances. Then Charlie grimaced as he met Jack's gaze.

"Jack, I don't think we should do this."

"What?"  Jack’s head was pounding, and he grimaced.  It must have looked like he was angry, because Charlie subtly moved back when Jack turned to look at him.

"It just, it doesn't feel right. Not without…."

Jack scowled and looked to Chris, usually his biggest supporter in their games, who'd been oddly quiet. The blonde twin avoided Jack's stare, head bowed.

"You two want to stop? Stop our favorite game?"

The two ducked their heads, hunching in on themselves under Jack's heavy glare. Jack felt his heart sink the longer they stayed quiet, until anger and anxiety swirled wildly in his chest.

"It's not the same without Aidan," Chris finally whispered.

Jack's stomach soured at the name. His heart rate sped and he tried to force down the dread pooling in his gut – they weren't with him on this they were going to abandon him – and focused on replacing it fully with anger. Jack sent them a glare and bolted out of the bushes, running right to the cottage.

He plucked rocks from the ground as he ran, throwing them ahead, taking out windows and other fragile nick-knacks lining the porch. When he ran out of rocks upon reaching the porch, he switched to his hands. Throwing the damaged pots and anything else within reach, he laid waste to everything in his path until his hands bled. And even then, he kept going.

And all the while the only thing he could see was Aidan.  Aidan flying backward under the impact of Barnes’ bullet. Aidan lying on the ground, bleeding.  Aidan’s empty eyes.

He was screaming like mad by the time the twins ran up to drag him away, and his vision was blurred by the tears rolling down his cheeks. When had he started crying?

"Jack, what are you doing?" Charlie demanded, giving the other brunette a rough shake by the shoulders.

"He killed him!  He killed him, and he laughed!"

"I know, Jack. I know, but this doesn’t help anything."

 Charlie wrapped both of his arm around Jack’s chest, pinning him from behind.  Jack flailed, trying to loosen the bigger boy’s hold.   Charlie tightened his grip as Jack tried to lunge back up and pulled the smaller teen close, partially restraining him and partially comforting as he pulled Jack into a hug. The smaller boy jerked and struggled before collapsing in his friend's arms, clinging to him as he sobbed anew.

This is ridiculous, he chastised himself. Breaking down like this every time he talked about, or even thought about….Aidan. The night Aidan died.

After that it didn't matter how pathetic it made him feel; he broke into uncontrollable sobs.

"I couldn't help him.”  Jack titled his head back so it rested on Charlie’s shoulder.  The older boy, loosened his grip just enough so Jack could turn into his chest.  “He was in my arms and I couldn't help him. I let him die."

"Don't say things like that." Charlie tightened his grip as he spoke, his voice just as thick as Jack's.

"We all miss him," Chris added, kneeling down beside the two boys as he placed a hand on Jack's shaking shoulder. "We miss him so much; the Terror Squad will never be the same again." That got matching watery laughs from the two brunettes. "So don't you leave too. Don't you leave us, Jack," he added, serious once more.

"I won't. I won't," he repeated, drawing the other twin into the hug.

They sat there for some time, holding one another tight until the tears were spent and the pain lessened, if only a little. When they finally broke apart, not a one of the three pairs of brown eyes were dry – though the boys still hid their faces as they wiped the dampness away.

"We should get out of here before our parents tan our hides," Charlie announced, rising to his feet and pulling Jack along.

Jack grimaced, and glanced back at the mess he’d made of the cabin.  "Yeah. I went a little overboard, didn't I?"

"A little?" Chris repeated, motioning to the demolished cottage. "You totally went overboard, Overland."

Jack laughed and climbed to his feet to follow the other two boys. He felt better, for the first time since The Ni— since Aidan's death, he reminded himself, swallowing down the pain in that thought. He was going to deal with this differently, from now on, he vowed. Maybe not better, but different. It was time for things to change.

He glanced back at the cottage as he made it through the first line of trees, hoping to use it has more reinforcement for change. Instead, his blood froze. For standing at the base of the steps leading to the porch, face red and livid as he stared after them, was Jonas Barnes.

“Run!” Jack shouted to the twins.  The two boys glanced back, caught sight of the old man, and then bolted for the cover of the trees.

Jack raced after them, praying that this wasn’t life trying to repeat itself.  There was no sign of pursuit, and the boys soon made it back to the village, panicked and out of breath, but unharmed.  They immediately ran for their parents, who gathered a group to go after the old man.

By the time the group made it to the cabin, Barnes was long gone.

X

The Overland siblings made their way from the school house back to their home. It was the end of Mary's first day of school – a daunting task, as it was the first step out of childhood. Jack knew the feeling well, and was by her side the whole day. And for that, Mary was grateful. And, more importantly, it was a sign that her brother was back!

Jack had been considerably more like his old self in the last week. He was more out-going, happier, easier on their parents, he'd even taken up spending time with the younger village children again, much to the joy of said children. Just yesterday, he'd riveted them with a fire side story, using a pair of deer antlers to illustrate his story that had them laughing uncontrollably. It was the first time he'd done anything like it since he came back from the woods.

Even though he still slipped into his darker moods, they were less often, and the house gave a collective sigh of relief at the change.

Jack brought Mary out of her thoughts with a snowball to the back of the head. Even though it was the tail end of winter, snow piles still littered the ground. And Mary had plenty of ammunition to return fire.

The two played for hours, until Mary's cheeks were rosy and her nose red from the cold, and Jack decided it was time to head home. They were within sight of their little house when Barnes stepped out of the trees and blocked their path. Jack immediately pushed Mary behind him, and subconsciously moved into a defensive crouch.  Ready to run, or fight the second that the situation called for it.  

For a long minute, Barnes did nothing but stand there and stare at them.  His thinning white hair was wild, and littered with twigs and leaves.  He stared at them with eyes so wide Jack could see the veins in the whites.  It made Barnes eyes look like cracking ice.

There was a dark, heavy air clung to Barnes, and radiated out over Jack.  It crawled over his skin like a swarm of spiders, and Jack fought to keep from shivering.  He swallowed, and forced his spine to straighten, arching to try and make himself look bigger.

"You shouldn’t be here,” Jack said. 

“I’m here for recompense for the damage to my property.”  There was a slight slur in Barnes’ words, and one half of his face didn’t move as he spoke.

Jack’s gut churned as all the dark emotions he’d been managing surged back to the surface.  He swallowed against the sudden taste of bile in his throat, and tried to focus on getting Mary to safety.  Making sure she was okay was the most important thing, and antagonizing Barnes was going to make that far too difficult.  Still, there was a sharp bit in his words when Jack spoke,

“All things considered, I think some property damage was smallest price for you to pay.  If you leave now, it’s the only price you’ll have to pay.  You stick around, and I’m pretty sure they’ll hang you.”

Barnes didn’t say anything else, and just continued to stare with wide, pale eyes.

"Mary, get back to the house," Jack said, still holding Barnes’ gaze.

Mary took a few steps forward, starting a wide circle around Barnes.  The old man blocked her as Mary tried to inch past him.

"She stays," he snapped.

Jack drew his sister back to his side, his body tense in preparation for a conflict. He glared the elder down, eyes flashing.

"This isn't her problem. Everything that’s happened is between you and me.”

"That it is," Barnes agreed. "But this is a problem at the root, and the fruit is equally rotted."

That didn't make much sense, but Jack didn't have time to puzzle through it as Barnes lunged at them. The teen avoided, pulling Mary along with him.  His heart pounded, and his mind’s eye was filled with terrible images of Mary on the ground with a hole in her chest.  Barnes blocked their every attempt to move past him. They zipped to the right, he followed them. They bolted left, he was already there, reaching for them. And he was too big for Jack to rush him. At least while he had Mary with him.

So he let go of her hand and dashed forward. Jack collided with Barnes' midsection, knocking the larger man to the ground. He kept the old man's flailing arms busy as he called over to Mary.

"Go! Get Da!"

He didn't have the chance to see if the seven-year old actually did as she was told. One of Barnes' waving arms met Jack’s cheek in an explosion of pain, knocking him on his side. He groaned and clutched his aching cheek, only uncurling from his pained balled position when he saw Barnes making his way toward Jack's house. After Mary, he realized, jumping to his feet. His head swam from the blow but he forced himself forward until he closed the distance between them. Then he launched onto the man's back, wrapping his arms tightly around Barnes' neck.

Barnes chocked and tried to throw the boy off.  For such an old, frail looking man, Barnes was oddly strong.  He twisted and flailed, almost completely unbothered by Jack’s weight.  But he’d forgotten about Mary. Who, Jack noted in pleasure, was almost to the house. Barnes must have noticed to, as he doubled his efforts to shake Jack off until the teen went flying. Jack saw stars when he hit the ground and his vision swam and then darkened as he blacked out.

He woke to a splitting headache and groaned, gently prodding at the abused area. No blood but defiantly bruised; yeah, that was going to hurt for a while. He let out another pained groaned and pushed himself up. The glow from a blazing fire to his left was the only thing lighting the room and he had to wait for his eyes to adjust before he could see anything. The sight of Barnes crouched in front of him was the first thing he clearly saw and had him scrambling to the opposite wall. Not good, oh not good.

Barnes only stared at him for a moment before he stood and walked to the fire.

"Spare the rod, spoil the child," he muttered. Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. What was the old man babbling about now? "It seems people have forgotten that; forgotten how children should be treated. Seen, not heard."

Tuning out the rest of that speech as Barnes rambled on, Jack scanned the room for a way out. The cottage wasn't how Jack would have picture Barnes living. Aside from the darkness from the veiled windows, it was almost cozy. Warm and neat; no signs of any evils of a dangerous recluse or heads of his victims mounted on his wall – a rumor that Chris spread around the village, thank you Chris – just a few pelt from hunted animals. Nothing especially sinister.

Unfortunately, Barnes was standing in front of the only exit. So, Jack edged around him while he ranted on about the decline of parental habits, hoping to sneak away. His shaking hand was a breath's away from the handle when Barnes' hand once again met his cheek, sending Jack to the ground.

"And another thing; you should listen to your elders."

"Not when my elders are insane murders," Jack muttered, earning a kick to the ribs. 

Jack groaned and curled up, holding his throbbing torso.  Barnes loomed over him, and then moved back toward the fire, breathing heavily.

"It's such a shame when a father can't keep his children in line."

"My Da has nothing to do with this."

"You're not to speak!" Barnes snapped with another kick to Jack's stomach. "And he has everything to do with this. He's weak, allowing his children to behave in such ways. Disrespecting elders, taunting, destroying property. It's a joke to fatherhood."

"You're a joke to humanity," Jack countered under his breath.

It was loud enough for Barnes, who once again struck him again and again in the chest and stomach. Jack was a quivering mess by the time the man stopped, shaking on the verge of tears as he lay in a tight ball and tried to relearn how to breathe.

"We'll work on that mouth, first," Barnes decided.

He forced the trembling boy out of his balled position and onto his stomach and removed his shirt. The rough movement aggravated his chest, but the pain was too exhausting for Jack to fight Barnes off. All he could do was lie limp on his stomach in confusion.

The first strike was so shocking that Jack couldn't feel the pain. However the pain of the next blow was agonizingly clear. By the sixth lash his back was on fire, sending bolts of pain from his chest. By the tenth he was fighting back tears. After that he lost all coherent thought and could only scream. And still the pain continued until he thought he would black out again, or go mad.

"Disrespectful," Barnes spat again, dropping his instrument of whipping – belt, Jack noted numbly – as he stalked back to the fire. "I'm going to teach you respect. In fact, I'm going to burn it into your miserable hide," he declared.

Jack blinked at that, weakly raising his head to follow Barnes' movements. His stomach curled at the pain even that small action sent racing through his spine and he had to blink away the tears clouding his vision before he could really see the man.

What he saw made his heart drop to his stomach and freeze. Barnes stood hunched over the fire, prodding the flame with a long metal rod until the tip came back bright orange with heat. He wouldn't, Jack struggled to reassure himself. But it seemed he most certainly would as Barnes marched back over to Jack's prone form, glowing rod in hand. Jack tried to move away, but his weak limbs refused to carry him and he's hardly lifted himself off the ground when Barnes pinned him back to the ground by his neck, crushing Jack's face into the floor boards.

Jack didn't need to see the old man to know what he was doing. He could feel the heat of the burning metal as it neared his exposed shoulder.

"Stop. Stop, stop, please, stop it, no, no stop it!" Jack's desperate pleas were cut off abruptly by a shriek of pain as a large booted foot slammed into his destroyed back.

"Quiet," Barnes growled, grinding his heel into Jack's thin shoulder blades.

The boy quickly obliged, holding back cries of pain and protest and finally the boot was mercifully removed. Unfortunately it quickly took its previous place at the back of Jack's neck, making the teenager choke and gasp even as he struggled to stay quiet. Stay quiet and stay still; that was what his survival instincts were screaming, so that's what Jack did. It became a much harder task when he felt the sting heat hover over his shoulder once more. Jack swallowed back a whimper – quiet and still to survive – and tensed, trembling in preparation for the pain. For an agonizingly long moment the heat hovered over his shoulder, inching ever closer. Then it vanished all together, along with the foot at this neck.

Jack lay stunned on his stomach, blinking dumbly before pushing himself up with a grunt. What was going on? Had the old man changed his mind? Somehow Jack didn't think he wouldn't be that lucky.

The teenager finally made it to his feet, pain shooting up his back as he moved. When he turned to face Barnes, he found that the old man hadn't so much changed his mind as forgotten about Jack completely. He seemed to have stumbled back, dropping the red hot rod, to Jack's immense relief, and now just stood gaping, staring just over Jack's shoulder in abject horror. Jack sent a glance in the same area and, and finding nothing but shadows, looked back to Barnes in confusion.

"I knew, I knew there was something off about you. But I never imagined," Barnes trailed off, never taking his eyes off the shadows behind Jack.

"What are you talking about?"

Uneasy, Jack cast another look over his shoulder. Still nothing but shadows. Although, and it may have just been Barnes' paranoia catching on, but the shadows did seem darker and thicker around Jack's form. Shaking that thought away, Jack focused back on Barnes, who seemed to remember the boy in the same moment.

"I see your demon, boy. I see what you are."

Was the man getting crazier by the moment, or was it just Jack's imagination? Not important, Jack decided when Barnes moved to close in on him once more. The dark air that had hovered over the man since he'd stepped out of the woods was deepening, becoming darker and more dangerous by the second.  

 _Run_. The thought whispered across his mind, seemingly of its own will, but it was sound advice and Jack heeded it.

He whirled around and made a beeline for the door, pushing himself as fast as his aching body would allow. It wasn't fast enough; Barnes hand's closed over his shoulders and tossed him to the side before Jack was even half way to the door.

The second Jack landed – very jarringly on his side – Barnes was over him, hands clamped over the boy's throat. Jack chocked and gasped and clawed at the man's face as it hovered over his own.

"I see what you are," he repeated in a snarl. "I should have known, should've seen sooner. It's not a poisoned root; it's evil, evil in you.”  He wheezed out a hysterical laugh and tightened his grip on Jack’s throat.  “I know what you are. Witch."

Barnes launched into yet another rant, or some other proverb, but Jack couldn't tell for sure past the pounding of blood in his ears. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe and his vision was darkening around the edges and he fought to stay awake because he knew if he blacked out again, he wouldn't wake up. But the choice was being taken out of his hands. His arms were getting sore and heavy and even as his heart pounded in growing terror, his mind grew fuzzy.

He was dying, he realized dimly, and his heart rate sky-rocketed. Forcing his arms back to Barnes's face – on hand at his forehead and the other pressing against his bearded chin – he focused on that terror, the last thing he could really, clearly focus on, and funneled it into one thought: Get. Off!

And he forced it all forward and out just as his sight went totally dark.

It was some time later – a second, a year, an eternity – that blessed air came rushing back to his lungs. Jack convulsed as he took in as much as possible, coughing as he choked on the too large gulps of air – sweet, sweet air! The darkness cleared away with each breath, and as he came back to himself, Jack registered gaping and wheezing that wasn't his own. Turning his head slowly, his thinking still clouded and dulled by the lack of oxygen, Jack's gaze fell on Barnes' form just next to his own. He scrambled back with a frightened gasp, edging away from the man as quickly as he could. It wasn't necessary.

Barnes was hunched in on himself, clutching his chest as he took in pained, wheezing breaths. Jack blinked and watched him, stunned and confused, and still rather unable to move in the aftershocks of strangulation. It was like Barnes was the one who couldn't breathe, Jack noted.

 _Run_. The thought sounded more and more like it was coming from an outside source; but it was still good advice. Run, get Da, defiantly a good idea.

But as Jack pulled himself up to do so, some small, nagging thought in the back of his mind urged him to stay. He glanced back at Barnes, who had collapsed completely on his side as he wheezed, this time in a continuous exhale with the smallest of breaths in between that had Jack worried.  He edged closer, worry and dread pooling in his chest.

 _Run, Jack._ Yeah, that was definitely an outside voice. But this time Jack ignored it.

"Goodman Barnes?" He asked timidly, his voice scratchy and dry.

The old man didn't answer. Instead he let out another wheezed breath and went limp. He didn't inhale again.

Jack froze in place, just a few feet from Barnes' still body, gapping in the sudden silence. He, he was going to take another breath, right? People had to breathe to live, didn't they? Why wasn't he breathing?!

"Goodman Barnes?" He called again, resuming his timid shuffle forward.

 _No, Jack_.

This time the thought – voice – was accompanied with a light tug at Jack's arm. Not enough to deter the boy, just to let him know something was there. Any other time that alone would have had Jack scrambling out of the cabin as fast as he could, but not now. Now he was too focused on the still body – still, limp and stiff, like Aidan – as he moved toward it. Why wasn't he moving, why wasn't he taking another breath? Jack hadn't done anything to, he hadn't meant to, what happened?!

 _Leave, Jack. Get out_ , the voice encouraged again, and still Jack ignored it. He limped over to Barnes and gently nudged the old man off his side and onto his back. Wide eyes stared up at him, blank and cold in death. Jack gasped and stumbled back. He stared in shock at the body before making his way outside, eyes never leaving the body, unable to look away. He sank to the ground when he made it outside, sitting on the steps of Barnes' porch.

The sun was just starting to sink below the horizon; it was late afternoon when he and Mary were on the way home. He'd only been in the cabin and hour, maybe two. Jack dully realized that it meant his father was probably on the way – alone or with a posy of the other village men, it was hard to imagine which – and that he was going home soon. The voice was trying to comfort him, or maybe encourage him to head home, but Jack couldn't hear the words. Couldn't feel relieved that his Da was coming for him. He was cold and numb and shaken.

There was a dead man inside. He'd been hurting Jack, he’d killed Jack’s best friend, and Jack had wanted him to stop.  He wanted the man to pay, and never hurt him again. And now the man was dead. Jack supposed that made it his fault.

They came for him before night had fully set, coming to a stuttering halt at the sight of Jack just sitting on the steps. William crept forward wearily, kneeling before his son and cupping the boy's tiny shoulders. The other men – Da had brought a posy – crept around them and into the cabin, nervous at what they would find from Jack's eerily familiar behavior. Meanwhile, William tried to ask what happened.

Jack just blinked dully at him. Then the boy pitched forward to weep into William's chest as the comforting warmth of his father's presence broke through the daze of his shock. He thought he apologized; for whatever it was he'd done to Barnes, for being so cruel to his Da, for not saving Aidan. Whether or not he actually said anything, Jack couldn't tell. All that mattered was that his Da was there, and Jack could cling to him as William carried him home. And he could feel safe and warm while he was carried like he was five again.

Jack clung just a little tighter to William and for the first time in months – since Aidan – he felt safe, and loved.

X

People made it a point to walk on egg shells around Jack after the incident with Barnes. Probably expecting him to slip back into his depression and bitterness, Jack deduced. And he had slipped back, for the first few days. He stayed quiet and huddled in his room, jittery, and nearly unresponsive to the world. But to the surprise and great relief of his family, Jack bounced back by the end of the week. After that, he leaped into a spree of pranking and shenanigans that, to the village, weren't much better than the boy's depression.

It was almost forced fun, very obviously so to anyone observing but Jack threw all of his efforts into it, earning a reprimand from his mother. However, in the end, her warning/reprimand was taken as more of a challenge. He could have fun all the time, thank you very much.

So, when Easter once again came around, for the first time in years – because no matter how brave his actions, the wolf incident was still considered his fault and was not something anyone wanted repeated– Jack played with the other children on the egg hunt. It caused something of a stir at first, but the children were quick to get over it in the place of a fun day with Jack and the adults were too weary of the boy's stability to step in as they normally would. That meant Jack was allowed to get away with much more than he usually would.

In his defense, it wasn't his fault, not really. There were eggs everywhere, some of them hidden just for him. And by that he meant that no one else would have possibly thought to look there, so they had to be for him. It was touching, a sign that the Easter Bunny was still looking after him – even if he'd hadn't seen the rabbit since that night four years ago, or even then really. But, back to the point, it was so not Jack's fault that he ended up giving everyone in the village a heart attack when he scrambled up a tree. There were eggs waiting for him up there! So up he went, ignoring the calls for caution from below.

"Eggs from above!" He called joyously, tossing said the brightly colored treats down to the waiting hands of the children below. Then he sat perched on the branch, watching the younger ones with a fond smile as they shrieked in joy at the colorful eggs.

"Jack, get down from there!"

Jack glanced down at the worried voice – it almost sounded like mom, except higher in pitch. Then he smiled at the sight of Mary looking up at him with wide eyes.

"You'll fall!" She added.

That made him smirk, and an idea quickly took root in his mind. He let his settle gently backward, calling 'like this?!' as he slipped off the branch and hung there by his knees. Mary let out a frightened yelp, then giggled with the other children when she realized he hadn't fallen to his death. Jack smiled and let the sound washed over him, swinging on the branch with his eyes closed in contentment. There was nothing better than getting a good laugh out of the kids. And they needed it; adult worries were always forced on them far too soon, in Jack opinion.

A loud slow 'craaaaack' the wood of the branch supporting him rang out drew Jack out of his thoughts. Jack winced and peeked up at the limb just as it gave way under his weight. Oh, not good. The branch snapped in half a second after the thought flittered through his mind, sending Jack plummeting to the ground.

He landed flat on his back with a splash of mud, knocking all the air out his lungs. Despite the discomfort, Jack let out a laugh as soon as he had the air to do so. That was great!

"Jack!"

Oh, right. Mary probably didn't find it as funny as he did. He sat up, winced slightly at the twinge in his back, and met his sister's gaze.

"Sorry, Mary. I'm fine." He was slugged in the shoulder by a tiny fist before he even finished the apology.

"I told you, you were going to fall!" She snapped, giving him a pouty glare. Then she stomped back over to their home, obviously intent on tattling to their mother. Jack just smiled and shook his head before levering himself onto his elbows.

"Odd how something so small can pack such an angry punch," Charlie commented as he made his way to Jack.

Although Chris and Charlie had stopped actually participating in the egg hunts years ago – right on schedule with their seventh birthday, in fact – one of the two usually dropped by to watch over the little ones. Just to make sure that no one wandered too far. At least that was the excuse they always used.

Jack smiled up at the taller teen and accepted Charlie's help back to his feet. The thinner teen sent the larger a winning smile, to which Charlie only gave a confused frown. Then the taller brunette shook his head.

"I don't get you," he said finally.

"What do you mean?"

"You spend almost a month sulking after, after losing Aidan." So, Jack wasn't the only one who still had a hard time talking about that. Even now, just hearing it, his throat closed up and his eyes burned. "Then you go off on a rampage on old man Barnes," Charlie continued, clearing his throat and blinking the mist from his eyes. "And after that you're all happy-go-lucky. Then, after Barnes snags you, you just stay with happy instead of shutting yourself in again. How can you act like nothing happened?"

Jack paused, and thought it over. He spoke slowly, testing the words as he spoke them aloud for the first time.  "Because, life's just too damn short and too sad to take it so seriously."

Charlie stared at him, like he didn’t believe it could be summed up that simply.  Then he snorted, and shook his head.  “You’re weird, Overland.”

Jack grinned and patted Charlie on the arm. Then he followed Mary back to the house, leaving the other teen staring after him in bafflement. He walked through the door just as Mary finished telling Abigail exactly how he'd fallen out of the tree, even when she'd told him to get down.

"See!" The seven year-old shouted, pointing an accusing finger his way.

Abigail turned to face the boy, shaking her head in amusement and stopped short when she caught sight of him. For a moment, her face slackened and she just stared. Jack stared back in confusion for less than a second before glancing down at himself in discomfort.

“Mom?  I’ll get cleaned up before dinner, I promise.  I was just having a little fun with the kids,” he explained in an uncomfortable rush.

"Why are you covered in mud?" She asked, voice just above a whisper.

He glanced down at his muddy clothes, and then back up, meeting his mother's teary gaze as he tried to piece together what was going on. Then he gave her a soft smile when the answer brushed over his mind: Abigail had thought the days of seeing her son come home covered in mud from a day of fun were long over. But now here he was; happy and smiling and a complete muddy mess. The sight made her heart ache.

"Well, as I'm sure the little lady explained, I fell out of a tree and into the mud," he explained, kneeling down to his sister's level.

"I told you," she repeated sullenly, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yes you did. Sorry I scared you."

"I wasn't scared!"

"No, of course not." The protest was much too quick and insulted for her not to have been frightened, but Jack didn't push the point. He just gave her a winning smile and waited.

The seven-year old made a valiant effort to keep up her sullen face, but it didn't take long for her to crack. She turned to face Jack full on, smiling and laughing in spite of herself.

"You're a stupid head," she informed him, still smiling.

"I'll have you know I am the king of stupid heads," he countered. The giggle he was answered with expressed that all was forgiven, and for that he was very relieved.

"Go get cleaned up, your highness," Abigail ordered with a laugh, ushering the muddy boy along.

Jack gave her a dazzling smile as he went along, to which Abigail messed his hair fondly in response. She watched him go from the doorway, smiling as both children tried to encourage their elderly dog to run along with them to the well. She sighed happily at the sight before going back inside to tend to dinner, feeling for the first time in months that the light at the end of the tunnel was finally at hand for her family.

X

William had delayed leaving as long as possible after the incident with Barnes.  Longer really. No matter how much Abigail encouraged him to go on or Jack ensured him it was fine, the man refused to leave the village. His family was on the verge of shambles, and he refused to leave it to fall apart. It was only when the ground began to frost over and he could no longer risk any more delay that William hesitantly left for the city up north. The first snow of the season came right on his heels, sealing the village off from the outside world.

The storm went on for days, and when it was over, the road up north was thoroughly blocked. The village was blocked by snow on all sides and the people thrown into a panic. Supplies were limited and the town's few tradesmen were trapped up north with no chance of bringing more down. As the village was hit by storm after storm and the limited food supply dwindled, fear steadily grew. Talk of starvation spread.

Jack tried to counter the heavy atmosphere to the best of his ability, for the children if no one else. He played with the little ones, kept their hopes up and told them fire-side stories when the storms kept them from going outside. It almost worked. But when outside activities were restricted and everyone held inside, the mood of the village took a dive and there was nothing the teenager could do about it. So instead he focused his efforts on his mother and sister, and hoped it would be enough.

"I wish Daddy was here," Mary whimpered, shivering as she shoveled her meager ration of stew into her belly.

There was no answer across the table but the crackle of the fire. Mary sniffled again. She shoved her empty bowl away and hugged herself as she starred at it longingly, hunger still rumbling hollowly in her tiny stomach. Jack sighed in sympathy, and then gave her a thin smile and rubbed her back. He slowly pushed his own bowl in front of her after another moment of watching her stare at her empty bowl. The little girl look up to him, eyes darting to the bowl in hunger and back to his face in hesitation. Jack only sent her another reassuring smile and motioned to the stew.

"Jack," Abigail warned in concern.

"It's fine, Mom, she can have it. I'm not that hungry," he added, ignoring the gnawing pain his stomach sent him in protest at the denial of food.

Mary didn't need any more reassurance and she ravenously descended on the stew. Jack smiled and urged her to slow down as he continued rubbing her small back. The feel of her prominent shoulder blades under his hand, something he couldn't feel just a week ago, was enough to push the angry growl of hunger from his stomach out of his mind. Mary needed it more.

He looked across the table to send a comforting look to his mother.  She quickly pushed her bowl in front of him.

“Mom, no. I’m fine.”

“This isn’t up for discussion, Jack.  If anyone is going without food in this house, it’s going to be me.  That’s the last I want to hear about it,” she said, when Jack opened his mouth to argue again.

Jack hesitated, but nodded and ate the remaining food from the bowl.  He’d picked up a bad habit of giving his rations over to Mary since the food had really begun to vanish.  At first, Abigail hadn’t noticed, but now it was impossible to miss.  None of them were getting enough food, but with Jack, it was really starting to show. His bony frame was painfully clear. She could count his ribs and see every bone of his spine without his shirt, his thin shoulders now stuck out like spears. His clothes hung on him now, so much that he could almost fit his sister in with him and still have spare room with clothes that were once almost too small for him. He became quick to tire, hardly able to wander about the house without becoming winded. It was painful and terrifying to watch.

"Jack, I don’t want to see you do this anymore.  You understand me?”  Jack nodded, but he didn’t say anything.  Abigail’s stomach soured.  “I mean it, Jackson.”

Jack flinched, and slowly looked up.  “I understand, Mom.”

They stared at one another minute, until Abigail was satisfied that the boy truly understood her.

“I think it's time for bed," she decided.

Jack nodded in agreement and pulled Mary along their parents' room – the three had taken to sleep in the same room for warmth, and comfort – calling Tiger Hunter along. Abigail had to steadily ignore how the elderly dog was now able to easily out run the teenager as he waddled to the bed room, and instead focused her own strength into clearing the table.

When William's wagon rolled down the road nearly a week after winter's end, when the snow finally cleared, the villagers descended on it like vultures. The man was nearly forced to beat them away, promising the other tradesmen were close behind between calls for his family.

Mary and Abigail were waiting on the porch for him when he arrived, both painfully small. Forgetting his wagon of goods, which the villagers had fortunately forgotten as well in favor of the others coming down the road, William jumped down and ran to them. He scooped his daughter up in one arm and wrapped the other around his wife, holding them both close and trying not to weep at the feel of their thin bodies in his arms.

"Where's Jack?" He demanded after a moment when he fully realized the boy wasn't with them.

"He's in his room. He's in a bad way, Will."

William blinked at her, staring just long enough to register the words, then passed their daughter to Abigail and raced inside, bolting to his son's room. He shouldn't have left. He knew he shouldn't have left.

Inside, Jack lay on his bed, such a jarring sight from his usually energized boy. Upon closer inspection, William's knees gave out as he realized the stillness was for good reason. His stomach dropped.

If Abigail and Mary were thin, Jack was a skeleton that still forced itself to breathe. The boy's skin was pull taunt across his body, clearly displaying the structure of his bones. William was almost afraid to touch him for fear that he would shatter. For a moment he just sat there, unable to move or look away. Then he bolted up and back to the open doorway.

"Abigail!" He shouted frantically, making the boy on the bed behind him jump.

"I'm making the broth now," she called back, voice teary.

Always so in sync with him, his Abigail. He'd feel appreciative for that later; right now he needed to focus on Jack. Who just now noticed his presence.

"Da, you're back."

William winced at the croaked voice, but slowly made his way back to the bed. He knelt at Jack's side, gently taking one of the too-thin hands in one of his own. Jack forced his head, slowly, painfully slow, to the side so his tired eyes, which seemed so much larger in his starved face, met William's.

"What did you do?" William managed to ask after a time of staring onto Jack's eyes.

"Mary needed to eat."

He could feel his Da's heart gave a stutter and he gripped Jack's had just a little too tightly. William let out a long breath and lowered his forehead to rest on Jack's before kissing his brow with a watery smile. His sweet, kind-hearted boy, when would he stop surprising his old man? Jack returned the smile and did his best to squeeze William's hand in comfort. It wasn't as bad as all that, really.

His attempt to convey that was dampened by the fact that he didn't even have the strength to curl his fingers over his Da's.

William smiled proudly when he felt Jack's finger twitch in the attempt and placed another kiss on the teenager's forehead. They sat together like that for another few moments, the only movement being William circular rubbing over the area of Jack's hand, until Abigail came in. William gave Jack's hand a gentle pat before making his way over to his wife and taking the steaming bowl of broth from her.

"Go look after Mary," he encouraged, cupping her face to bestow a gentle, passionate kiss.

Abigail held his gaze for a moment before nodding. Giving him a parting kiss, she left him alone to take care of their son.

#

The only problem with having Da care for him – and don't get him wrong, that was awesome! – was that William didn't let Jack do anything by himself. He wanted to a glass of water? Da got it for him. Jack was hungry; Da jumped to get him whatever he wanted. Jack wanted to sit up, Da levered him up and propped the skinny boy up on his newly fluffed pillows. He wasn't allowed to lift up his own arm without help. It was starting to get really annoying.

"Da, come on, I can walk," Jack protested as he was carried out of his room and to the front of the house. Now this, this was the last straw.

Christmas Morning, the most exciting day of any kid's year, and Jack couldn't run out to the tree, bouncing in happiness at the prospect of new toys. Not that he would have had the energy to do so anyway, as walking was still a bit of a chore, even after a near month a proper nourishment, but still! He wasn't even allowed to try because Da insisted on carrying him.

William was just lucky that Jack didn't have energy for anger, either.

"I know. I just like to carry you about like you're my little baby boy again," William cooed, leaning down to peck little kisses along Jack's face.

"Da!" Jack protested with a giggle, shoving William's head away.

"Baby Jack!"

Jack sent a glare to his taunting sister as William set him down by the tree. The little girl stuck her tongue out in response, and Jack returned the gesture. Luckily, karma was on his side today.

"Oh, think it's funny, do you?"

William twirled around and snatched the girl up. Mary squealed and laughed uncontrollably even as she protested William launching into a similar assault of kisses on her face. Jack smiled and sighed as a feeling of pleasant warmth blooming from the center of his chest, fed by the sound of Mary's laughter and the love and content spreading through the room. It was the first time in a long time that Jack had felt such a thing in his family. To feel it now, after so much hardship, made him smile even more, joy singing through his being.

"Alright, let's see what Santa brought," William declared, placing Mary back on the ground.

Mary stifled her giggles and snuggled next to Jack, calling Tiger Hunter to join them. Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her close as William distributed the presents. Quite a few more this year. Jack noticed. Not a staggering amount, but still more than normal. And most were the fun presents! Toys and games in colorful wrappings, they even outnumbered the usual useful presents from Mom and Da. Best Christmas ever!

"Jack," William called when all the presents were opened.

Jack looked up from inspecting his new pair of skates – quite the cause for excitement as Mary opened her own new pair and was eager to try them out – and gave his father a questioning gaze. William drew out another package, this one as long as Jack was tall. Jack's eyes lit up as he took the package, ignoring Mary's offended cry that Jack got more gifts than she did. Sending William another look, Jack tore into the packaging. Inside was a long piece of gnarled wood, obviously hand carved and curved at the top. A staff. Just like Da's.

Jack looked up to William, mouth gapping as his finger gingerly ran along the wood of the staff. William smiled in response.

"You're growing up. You have, grown up," he corrected, proud and happy, "so much, so fast. And I think it's time you learn my trade. What do you say? You want to come with me up north, come spring?"

Jack gapped for another moment, processing the request, and its implications. Then he launched himself forward in a very enthusiastic yes, wrapping his arms tightly around William's chest.

"Thanks, Da."

William smiled in response and patted the boy's thin back. Settling back on his heels, Jack studied the staff, holding it close as he ran his fingers along its wood. Ignoring Mary's grumblings, Jack let the warmth of happiness wash over him.

He was going to see the world outside his village. His Da was taking him out and the thought had excitement and anxiety chasing each other in his chest. He was going to see the world.

X

"Jack. Jack, wake up."

The little voice pierced through the blissful, lovely darkness of sleep. Jack groaned and rolled to his other side, attempting to swat away the voice. It just became more insistent with his attempts to ignore it.

"Jack," it whined, "you promised!"

The teenager just gave an incoherent grumble of protest and tried to settle back into sleep. He heard the tiny voice sigh in exasperation before it went silent. And then he was promptly rolled out of bed. He fell to the floor with a cry, landing in a painful thud. Fully awake now, Jack bolted up to glare at the offending voice. Mary met it with her own stubborn, annoyed scowl, little arms crossed.

"You. Promised," she repeated, to which Jack groaned and flopped back to the ground.

Right. That's what this was about. To be honest, he was excited, but Mary had very rudely woken him up before he was ready. He had to keep up the annoyed, grumpy front for just a bit.

"I don't know, Mary. It's seems too early to go out."

"The suns been up for hours! You promised!" She added while Jack tried to puzzle together how she even knew that.

"Sorry, little lady. Just too tired." To illustrate the point, Jack rolled over, throwing an arm over his eyes to block out the sun light, desperately trying to hide the grin spreading over his face.

Mary fell right into it, whining as she shook his shoulder. Hiding the grin turned to the chore of trying to contain laughter as Mary continuously wailed 'you promised' while shaking him so much he rolled around on the ground. Finally deeming she'd been through enough, Jack peeked up and let her see his grin. Mary froze, stared at him with a gapping mouth, and then slugged him in the shoulder with a laugh. Jack returned the laugh, climbing to his feet and making his way over to where his shoes and ice skates lay, Mary bouncing in front of him all the way.

It was something of a peace offering in the wake of the great insult of receiving more Christmas presents than she. In return that she 'stop the whining!', Jack agreed to teach her ice skating as soon as he was able. It had taken over a month, but as Jack’s birthday rolled around, he was finally capable of walking without assistance and without tiring. Which meant Mary had been hounding him to keep his promise ever since. And now, three days later, they were heading down to the lake.

First, they needed breakfast. Abigail already had everything set out for them, nice and neat as always. Of course, there was no time to enjoy it as Mary inhaled her food and pulled Jack along and out the door before he'd really started on his own food – portage, his favorite. Despite Abigail's reprimand for Mary to slow down, Jack followed along willingly.

"It's fine, Mom. Not that hungry."

Wrong answer. Abigail's face went blank and she froze on the spot, suddenly taken back to just a few months ago, watching her little boy waste away and unable to stop it. Jack swallowed under the wave of emotions and sent her a calming smile.

"I'll eat when I get back," he amended, and the life seeped back into his mother's face.

"Your father and I will meet you too for lunch."

"Well, there you go."

"Jack, honey. Are you sure you don't want to wait until next winter," she asked, imploring the boy to wait. It wasn't anything new; Jack's recovery had pushed the skating adventure back much further than what would be considered safe. It was late winter, heightening the risk of thin ice.

It was a large point of concern in the family.

Jack turned to answer only to have his arm jerked to toward the door by a very eager little sister. He laughed and sent another calming look to his mother.

"I don't think she'll let me live if I try that. Don't worry, I’ll keep her safe" he soothed, seeing her insistent look of worry.

Abigail sighed but nodded as she watched the two go. She stood in the doorway as Mary tugged her brother along, worried but fondly happy.

"Be careful," she called half-mindedly.

Jack looked back and laughed at Mary's increasingly insisting pull.

"We will," he promised through his laugh, throwing another few looks of comfort over his shoulder as he went.

She wasn't convinced, but she was calmed. Satisfied, Jack picked up his pace, breaking into a full run to challenge Mary to a race down to the lake, giving a final look back to Abigail to increase her confidence. She returned it this time, and Jack's heart soared and he ran faster, turning away fully from his mother and his house.

It was the last time she would ever see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we all know what happened here. *Tears*  
> Hello everyone, sorry for the terribly long wait, but as you can see, I've got a little novella in the middle of my fanfic. Hope it was worth the wait.


	7. Chapter 7

_1872_

Jack had been around for a while now. One hundred and fifty years; granted, not much compared to other spirits, more of a blink as he was continuously told by those who actually cared enough to spare time for harsh words. But still, it felt like a life time to him – and it was, it was his life time – and he'd learned a lot in that time.

 He learned that the joy he took in riding on the Wind was one of the only things he could really take joy in. He learned to think of the wind as Wind, a presence with a complete consciousness if not a full spirit. As Wind was one of the few things, presences or other-wise, that was ever kind to him, it was difficult not to think of her as a true being – and something always told him that Wind was a ‘her’ rather than an ‘it’. He couldn't explain why, even to himself.

He learned very quickly that his connection to Wind was a rare thing in his world, something that made those few spirits who bother to acknowledge his existence very jealous, and hostile. He had bruises and broken bones from nearly every encounter to prove it.

He learned that he was young in the spirit world. No matter where he looked, trying to find someone he could play with who would actually return the fun, everyone was always at least a handful of years older than him in physical years and always thousands of years ahead of him spiritually. And no one wanted anything to do with a boy they viewed as barely old enough to be out of diapers.

He learned that he was a powerful spirit in the world, even among seasonals. He could do things, had control over his element, even over the wind, at birth that other spirits couldn't do for much of their life-times. Cue more jealousy. Coupled with his connection to Sera, companionship with Wind and the touch from the Man in the Moon, marking him as not a Seasonal spirit but not Moon spirit either, Jack learned that the other spirits were never going to except him into their folds. He could never really belong with anyone.

He learned that people didn't really like Winter. It was something Jack realized from the moment he'd met the fire spirit, just a few decades prior. And while he couldn't fathom why people disliked his season so, it was still obvious. And it hurt. Spirits hated the season, and anyone tied to it, because it was a time they saw as killing all their hard work.

The Seasonals associated with Winter didn't help matters as they were often as cold and cruel as the temperatures of the season suggested, and they took great joy in the suffering their work brought on others. They were mean hearted, often mentally unstable, and, Jack could admit it, scary. Really scary. And every spirit Jack met applied those same qualities to him on sight. Judgment by association. And the humans, who he tried so hard to bring joy to, feared Winter as much as the other spirits hated it. They were afraid of the cold and the death it brought, afraid they wouldn't make it to the Spring. No matter how much of himself he put into the snow, to make it fun and good, they were still always relieved when the warmer seasons came.

That fear stung worse than the hatred from his fellow spirits.

He learned that among the other winter spirits, even if he had wanted anything to do with them – and he didn't – they wanted nothing to do with him. There was the problem of that Moon touch again. Labeling him as something different. As an _other_. Unwanted even among the hated. It didn't help that he had to be in constant contact with them, and they, in turn, were forced to follow his orders. He learned that one day in the Antarctic.

There was a cold front moving up from the south, bringing the freezing temperatures from Antarctica up toward the equator. Sera had been worrying over it and the damage it could do, for some time. The only reason Jack noticed, of course, was because it was one of the few time his mom both insisted that Jack stay by her side, and Jack actually agreed to do so. The cold was a slow moving force, but if left alone much longer, it would throw things out of balance. Drastically, in an end-of-the-world kind of way.

If the spirits – members of the Winter Court, as he picked up from Sera's constant worried mutterings – didn't change the course, she would have to step in. Sera hated having to do that, as it often ended in a fight that resulted in gruesome death for the spirits she had to stop. So the more Sera worried about, the more uneasy Jack got, and the more miserable his stay got by extension. Not that he didn't love his time with her, because he did, but it turned more into imprisonment when Sera was worried about something. When she was worried, that worry somehow transferred to him, which made her hover over him like a shadow. Which, in turn, meant he couldn't do anything. Ever.

So, on day three of the imprisonment, with his mom shadowing his every move in that unfathomable worry-fit, Jack decided to slip away and do something about the source of Sera's, and his, misery.

It was very simple logic. He was the Spirit of Winter, or at least that's what Sera told him, and even though he really didn't know what that meant, or how it was different from being just a Winter spirit, he figured it meant the Winter spirits had to listen to him. Right? Right, he decided. And with that in mind, down to the edge of the world he went.

The confrontation worked out a lot better in his head.

In his head, he dropped down, explained the problem, asked or possibly ordered them to stop the cold front, and they did so. Because he was the Spirit of Winter and even if they didn't like him, or more accurately hated him with force of a thousand blizzards, they would still listen to him. Quick, easy, simple. And not at all how it went down.

 In reality, he dropped down by a group of about a half a dozen winter spirits as they stood in meditation to focus the cold up north. Then he'd tapped one, a boy a few years older than him with a long tail of frozen white hair, on the shoulder. The other spirit had barely glanced over his shoulder before promptly tackling and pinning Jack to the ground with a sharp blade of ice at his throat. Yeah, not how he planned it.

The only thing that kept him from having his throat actually cut open was that he felt the attack coming – somewhere deep in the back of his mind – a spilt second before the spirit moved, catching the arm holding the descending knife before it could make its home in his neck as they fell to the ground. The abrupt delay gave enough time for the spirit to actually recognize Jack. Once he did, of course, the older spirit actually redoubled his efforts to tear open Jack's throat, leaning down to _bite_ at the smaller boy a few times. Were it not for the fact that it was aimed to kill him, Jack would have laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"So, um, your, your cold-meditation-thing is moving too far up north, and, and you're about to upset the balance. You need to stop," Jack managed to stutter out as he fought to keep the knife away and avoid the teeth.

"Nothing will stop this! We shall rule," the spirit snarled, blue lips pulled back to reveal his sharpened teeth.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but," Jack trailed off abruptly as he grunted, having to jerk his head to the side to avoid the teeth that snapped at his face. "But if you don't stop," another grunt as he fought to push the knife away from his throat, "You need to stop or," jerking again to avoid teeth, "Mother Nature will have to stop you, and she doesn't want, will you stop it already!" He finally snapped after the fifth time he had to flail about to evade the teeth aiming sink into the skin of his neck or face.

And to his utter shock, the other spirit did just as he said, freezing in mid-attempted-bite. Jack blinked up at him in confusion when the older spirit only stayed in that frozen position, neither moving away or closer. Just….stopped, Jack realized.

"Now, get off me," he ordered, hesitantly. Again, the spirit did so.

Jack's brow furrowed as he climbed to his feet, keeping his eyes on the other spirit. The older boy was snarling at him, obviously displease with… whatever was making him listen to Jack. Deciding to file that information away to ask mom later, Jack turned to the other spirits still focusing on pushing the cold up north.

"Alright, you five. Stop, now!" He ordered in the most firm, demanding voice he could muster.

Forcing down a grin that would totally demean his image of authority, Jack held himself tall when the five remaining spirits did as he said and turned fierce glares on him. So cool! Again he forced back the need to grin, this time accompanied with a happy dance and focused on the problem at hand. One of the spirits snarled and started forward, forming a sword of ice out of the frozen air as she stalked toward him. The others, including the first spirit, moved to follow her.

"No, all of you stay back!" They did, and Jack sighed in relief. "All right," he added, looking them all dead in the eye. "You are all going to stop this cold front, and bring it back down here where it belongs. You're going to do whatever it takes to fix the damage the cold has already done in the southern areas, and you're never going to do anything like this again," he demanded, channeling Sera just a bit – a thought he forced quickly forced down before he could blush and break whatever spell of authority he had over the spirits – to add a little more authority, and from the way they all snarled or otherwise scowled, he was very successful.

"We wish to further the cause of Winter," the boy spirit, the one who'd tried to bite out Jack's throat, growled angrily. "You do this, go against us, and you are an enemy of our season."

"I'm the Spirit of Winter," because, no matter how bad off plan this was going, Jack still felt the need to say that. The air around him hummed with power at the words and the wind swirled around his body, framing him in a swirl of snowflakes. The other spirits shifted uneasily in response, so it was totally worth how stupid it made him feel. "And what you've tried to do threatens to destroy the balance of the world. You're not to do it again," he warned again, feeling strong, powerful, amazing. The six back away, and Jack nodded, satisfied that they would, or at least had to, listen to him.

Turns out being the Spirit of Winter came with some perks. Namely, he could command and, with a direct, clear order, override the will of lower Winter beings. It was a fail-safe, Sera explained. As the Spirits of the Seasons were in charge of several thousand of other spirits, many of whom did not want to listen to anything they had to say, it came in handy to be able to control said spirits.

For Jack, however, that skill also had its drawbacks. The incident in Antarctica, no matter how totally awesome – mom was very proud after she finished chewing him out for running off without telling her – effectively alienated him from any beings of Winter who would have ever wanted anything to do with him. The only spirits in the world who may have wanted anything to do with him at all.

So, where did that leave him? Not human enough to be a child, too young to be wanted among the other spirits, unseen by most of the world and hated by the rest of it. It left him alone, that's where. Of course he had Sera, and he loved her, very much, but there was only so much she could give him.  As much as she loved him, it wasn't enough. It didn't help with the pain of the fact that he didn't belong anywhere.

X

The four Guardians jerked back to awareness from Jack's memories with a jolt, falling to the ground in disorientation, all chocking on the phantom sensation of cold lake water in their lungs. At some point, the action of coughing out the feel of water turned to sobbing. Tooth held the precious box with Jack's painted face close to her chest as she cried and rocked. She knew that looking into Jack's past would be difficult, would have its consequences, but this… this was worse than anything she could have imagined. She looked down at the face on the end of the tube and let out another sob. Oh, Jack…. She swallowed down the rest of her sobs and tears– crying wouldn't help or fix anything, she reprimanded herself – and glanced over at the boys. They weren't faring much better than she.

The three were doing the best to hide their weeping in between the fits of coughing. Sandy ran his hands through wild hair as he tried to pull himself together. That certainly was quite a bit to take in, and not in a good way. To go through so much only to die so young, deprived of the chance to see things get better – it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. After another hacking cough, North voiced Sandy's thoughts, blinking the last of the wetness from his eyes and clearing his throat before he went on.

"He deserved better than that."

"He did," Bunny agreed. "But there's nothing we can do about his past. Right now we just gotta… make his life now better."

Bunny made his way over to where Tooth was still crouched on her knees and knelt beside her. Hard as this was for all of them, it was hitting her the hardest, and that was his fault. When she didn't look up, he ran a soothing hand over her tense shoulder blades, finally drawing her teary gaze.

"I’m sorry I didn't listen ta ya. That, might not have been the best idea, after all."

Tooth let out a small laugh and rolled out of her hunched position over the tooth box.

"Well, we did see what we wanted to know, and keeping that bottled up wouldn't be healthy for him. So, I guess it wasn't a total loss," she gasped, wide eyes swiveling to meet Aster's. "How are we going to talk to Jack about this? How are we supposed to deal with this?"

Bunny gaped back at her pleading look. How were they going to handle this? They needed to talk to the kid; that much was obvious. Judging by his behavior earlier that day, Jack had seen his death in his memories at the very least. Which, in retrospect, completely justified his attitude toward sharing his story. And in talking to him, they were going to have to admit that they'd seen those memories, and maybe even events Jack himself hadn't seen yet. Bunny gave a small shudder; the idea of facing up to Jack seemed a lot easier before they went into the kid's memories. He was starting to see Tooth's point on the whole violation aspect of this.

He shifted his gaze from Tooth's wide, still pleading eyes to the box in her hands, placing one of his own over the end holding Jack's likeness. He choked back on another lump of tears as flashes of memories and experiences– emotions and thoughts that weren't his, that weren't even Jack's – flowed through his mind. And to think he ever once said, had the gall to even imply, that Jack didn't deserve the title of Guardian.

A crashing wave of guilt swept over him and he swallowed heavily around the lump in his throat. Just another thing he would have to make up for. Bunny opened his mouth, finally meeting Tooth's gaze as he tried to offer a solution, or maybe express his own hopeless confusion, when another voice broke the silence before he could.

"Did everyone have a nice trip? Enjoy all the scenes of _my_ past?"

Bunny jolted and swallowed thickly once more, suddenly very, very nervous about what they'd just done and seen as he turned to meet the source of the voice. And sure enough, there was Jack. The boy looked utterly calm and still on the surface, unnaturally so for a kid as active and expressive as the winter spirit. But the bitter tone of his voice told a completely different story, as did the pools of emotion shining from his eyes. Scorn and cold, cold anger were the most prominent and terrifying in their raw, freezing power as they pinned each individual Guardian down.

Bunny had never seen Jack truly angry.  He’d seen the boy mildly upset, yes; Bunny had countless encounters with blizzards to testify that.  But he'd never seen full-blown anger from the kid. Jack was a literal force of nature and capable of all the destruction of Winter, so real anger was something the Easter spirit had never wanted to see. But it was there now, frightening and cold as any snow storm.

The thing that really hurt, though, the thing that had Aster's heart clenching were the emotions that were just under that angry stillness. Betrayal, pain, and deep, gut-wrenching sadness.

The temperature in room steadily dropped as they stared at one another, Bunny trying to puzzle out the sadness in that gaze while Jack kept them rooted in place with it. An awkward silence fell over the room the longer they stared, and no one had the courage to break it. Then, with a steadying breath, Tooth took a few hesitant step forward. Jack's sub-zero stare snapped to her and effectively halted her progress. Another staring contest ensued. Finally, the boy strode forward to Tooth, who only stayed frozen in place and stared at him, eyes wide and guilty. He met her eyes coldly before glancing down at the box she still held tightly to her chest.

"I want that back," he said after another tense moment. Tooth's lip trembled as her eyes flew down to the box and back to his.

"Jack—"she began, voice as shaky as her lip.

"It's mine," he reminded, "and I want it back." His voice stayed flat and cold, a stab of ice into her heart with each word. Tooth came precariously close to weeping but she held it out for Jack to take. This little tube, a precious symbol of his trust, was now the cause of the loss of said trust. The winter boy snatched the memory box away with no hesitation, turning on his heels without another word, marching to the nearest open window.

"Now hold on a minute!" Bunny snapped when he realized the boy was leaving.

"Bunny, all things considering, you really shouldn't boss me around right now," the winter spirit warned, still making his way steadily to the window.

"Jack, wait, let's just talk about this for a minute—"Bunny began, grabbing the boy's arm to stop him.

"NO!" Jack's voice rose for the first time since he'd arrived.

He jerked his arm to loosen the older spirit's grip, sending a blast of icy wind through the workshop as he whirled around with a snarl. The ground beneath them groaned, the walls shook, toys clattered to the floor. Bunny quickly released his hold and stumbled back, eyes wide with worry. Behind him, he could hear the others scrambling about in a panic or trying to save the toys, hear the yetis fearful grumbles and yells and the ringing of the elves hats as they scramble about in their own panic. But he didn't turn to see. He kept his eyes on Jack, who met his gaze with that angry mask and the sadden emotions beneath.

Santoff Claussen was built on ice. They were glaciers of the North Pole, granted, but ice nonetheless; nothing but packed snow and ice. And Jack, as a winter spirit, had total power over that snow and ice, the material that made up the very ground beneath their feet. More terrifying than that fact, though, was that all of Jack's awesome power was tied fundamentally to his emotions. Emotions that were raging completely out of control at the moment. Put that all together, and the kid could very well tear the floor out from under them if he didn't reign himself in.

For a terrifying moment, as he met Jack’s glare, Bunny was sure the boy would do just that.  But then, Jack took a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing. The rumbling creased and the trembling walls stilled. The absence of the shaking walls the workshop was deafeningly quiet and still. All eyes stayed glued on the winter boy, who stayed quiet and still and focused on his breathing. After a long moment, he opened his eyes again, meeting the multiple gazed locked on him.

"I can't," Jack's voice cracked, and took a moment to blink back the sudden sheen of tears clouding his vision. Tooth let out a sudden gasp of realization, and Jack pushed on before the others could question her. "I can't be around you right now. I need you to leave me alone," he demanded zipping out of the window before anyone could stop him.

Bunny stood in place for a long while, staring after the boy before sighing and pulling at his ears. That could have gone better, he thought regretfully. Pushing the feeling aside for the moment, he turned and made his way to Tooth, who was staring at the window with a sorrowful expression. Bunny drew her attention by gently grasping her hands. He tried to give her a reassuring smile and she valiantly tried to return it, and though neither were very successful, it was the thought that counted.

"What was that about? What do ya know, Tooth?" he pushed softly. The fragile smile the fairy had managed to muster slipped away.

"I can't believe I was so _stupid_ ," she said with a sob.

"Toothy, don't say that," North chastised, wrapping a huge arm around her tiny shoulders and drawing her close, leaving just enough room for Bunny to stay crouched in front of her.

"What do'ya mean, Tooth?" The rabbit Guardian pressed again even as North gave her the comfort he could.

"I forgot about the connection. The boxes are the memories of children, they have an ongoing connection with the teeth inside. Whenever I or one of my fairies open them, that connection is opened again and the memories flow back to the child," she explained, teary eyes never leaving Bunny's.

Now it was Bunny's turn to let out a groan as he let his head drop. He pulled at his ears again and gave Tooth's hands a nice squeeze.

"It's not yer fault, Toothy. I promise, none of this is." If it was anyone's fault, it was Bunny’s, and his alone.

"Vhat? Vhat is wrong?" North asked, looking between the two in confusion. He tightened his grip on Tooth and gently rubbed her upper arm while she struggled with her tears.

"The kid saw everything we did when we opened his memories, mate."

North winced, and slowly brought a hand up to cover his eyes.  Tooth trembled again, and the big man tightened his hold.  Bunny settled back onto his heels, and rubbed the center of his forehead.  His head throbbed, the center of his chest was in a tight knot and his stomach did summersaults.  Shit, what a mess.

"Everyone 'e ever knew, his mother, father, sister, all his friends, they're all gone now. Long dead. And now 'e's suddenly got a set of brand-spanking new memories ta remind 'im of that. He just relieved his death,” he added, quietly.  “We did that to him."  Slammed him with an overwhelming tide of grief, and then added on an extra blow of betrayal.  They picked through his most private moments, violated his privacy.  Bunny could only imagine the terror of feeling someone tromp around in his mind, like icy dipped fingers digging into his skull.

Jack’s face pushed its way back into the front of Bunny’s memory.  He could finally put a name to that swirl of emotions underneath the anger and scorn: devastation.

What had they done?

X

Jack crash landed on the shores of his lake when his tears made it too difficult to continue flying. He pulled his knees to his chest and hid his face in them. He sobbed and hugged himself as the memories flew through his mind. Faces of his friends, family, people of his village he knew his entire life. They were dead now, all of them, for three hundred years. Dead and forgotten. Another wave of tears crashed over him, leaving him choking and sniffling.

He’d felt the gentle tug of his memories while he was flying over Siberia. He'd been dwelling on the embarrassment of having his mother and his friends interacting and going out of their way to torment him, and then found himself thinking of his past.  The odd shift confused him, and the next thing he knew, that gentle tug became a violent yank.  The overflow of information had him falling out of the sky and slamming into the snow bank of the near-by mountain. For a while after that, Jack had lay there crying uncontrollably, shaking and coughing against the feeling of drowning – again.  Then he'd bolted to the Pole.

And when he got there, they were all huddled around Tooth and his memories, crying like they were the ones who just lost everything they'd ever known. Like it was every detail of their pasts that had just been jammed into their heads. The thought should have made him as angry now as he’d been when he was at the Pole, but all he could feel now was loss. He almost felt sick with it, thinking of his mother and father, of little Mary, Charlie and Chris, Aidan…. all the events of Aidan's death most definitely made him sick.

It wasn't just the death of his friend that had his stomach turning, even though that was still plenty enough to do so. It was the events that followed. Because he, at the ripe age of thirteen, had been a murder.  He'd killed a man, accidently or not, self-defense or not, Jonas Barnes was dead because of Jack. He'd killed him.   No, even that was sugar coating it; first, Jack had tortured him.  He’d done something to Barnes’ mind, what it was and how he did it, Jack didn’t know.  But it didn’t change the fact that Jack had destroyed Barnes, and then murdered him.

Jack hugged himself tighter as he tried to keep himself from being sick.

When his stomach settled and his tears were spent, Jack finally uncurled and looked around. He held back a shiver at the sight of his lake and quickly looked away. Maybe this wasn't the best place to go. The lake was the closest thing he had to home, the little cabin in the woods near its shore having fallen away long ago, and it had been home for as long as he could remember.

But it was also the place where he'd died. That hadn't bothered him for a long while after he got his memories back. Jack, ever the optimist, had tried to focus on the happier point of what he'd learned: his sister and saving her, saving Mary. But the horror was buried just under that pride for weeks after watching his first flash of memories. It crept up on him slowly but surely, and now all he could think of when he looked at his long-time home was the fear and the feel of water filling his lungs and the fact that the last memory his sister would have of him was watching Jack die for her.

He swallowed back another sob and ran a hand through his crazed hair. He was going to need to head back to the Pole sooner or later, clean up the mess he'd left behind. He'd made Tooth cry, he noted guiltily.

Jack sighed and climbed to his feet. He opened his mouth to call the Wind when he felt a flash of heat at his back. He whipped around, holding his staff at the ready. His eyes met the deep, dark brown gaze of the fire spirit, the first he'd ever met. The other boy stood a few feet from him, arms crossed casually as he leaned against the trunk of a tree, watching Jack.

 Oh, crap.

"Having a rough day, are we?"

Jack took a slow, calming breath. He'd faced off with the Boogeyman less than a week ago. He could handle a low level Summer spirit who barely had anything to do with season itself. Fire or no fire.

"What are you doing here…." Jack trailed off, realizing he'd never really caught the fire spirit's name in the times he'd tormented him.

"Brenton," the spirit filled in, still grinning in a way that made Jack very jumpy. "Don't think we've ever been introduced."

"It never came up. What are you doing here?"

"I was in the area."

"It's not Summer here, yet."

"It's not Winter, either," Brenton countered.

"This is my home. You need to leave."

"Oh, I need to leave do I? But not you? This isn't your home," he pressed on before Jack could protest, "whatever pathetic sentimentality you may have about it. It's your time to leave."

"What, you speak for Spring now?" Jack said with a disbelieving snort.

Brenton only continued to watch him. Jack met his stare, trying not to squirm. Deciding he'd had just about enough of people studying him like that for today, Jack turned away, hoping the dismissal would be enough to chase the other spirit off.

"Look, I've got to be somewhere, so just don't be here when I get back." He barely took a full step before a tight grip on his arm pulled him up short. He sent an icy glare over his shoulder, trying not to let his stomach roll at the sight on Brenton's hand clamped over his forearm and the fear the sight brought. "Get your hands off me," he ordered, surprised and pleased with how firm his voice came out.

"Yeah, no. You and I have some business we need to—"

Jack didn't let the other spirit finish before he brought his staff up between them and blasted him. That was way too familiar for comfort, Jack decided as he watched Brenton go flying. He bolted, rubbing his arm as he ran and made to call for the Wind again. Again, he didn't get far before a pair of arms stopped him, wrapping around his middle this time. Jack flailed against the hold and caught sight of a deeply tanned face as he struggled. Judging by how hot the arms holding him were, it was another fire or Summer spirit. Wonderful.

"Ah, good catch, Ty. Now, let me get this away from him," Brenton yanked Jack's staff out of his hands and tossed it to the side, "he's less troublesome without it."

"Who's your buddy?" Jack asked, meeting Brenton's gaze while the fire spirit studied him.

"Oh! Jack, this is Tyson. Tyson, Jack," he said, acting like he was in the middle of a social gathering.

Jack didn't recognize the name, and while that didn't mean he didn't know the spirit, he still didn't understand what the guy had against him.

"Of all the nature spirits, this is who was chosen for Guardianship," 'Tyson' said in a grumble.

Oh. Well, it was only a matter of time before someone came after Jack because they were upset about the Guardian thing. He knew that from the get-go.  He just really would have preferred later, and sans a certain Brenton.

"So yeah, that's why he's pissed and you already know why I don't like you. So there's no need to guess why we're here," Brenton said with a smirk and suggestive pop of his eyebrows.

Jack tried not to groan or let his head flop down. Great, an ass kicking was just what this day needed to suck to its fullest.

"How're we going to do this?" Brenton asked, drawing Jack back to his problem. "I'm all for burning, personally, but since I figure this is a team up and all."

"He's afraid of the lake," Tyson said in suggestion. His voice didn't hold any of the sick excitement that Brenton was full of, which somehow made him all the more frightening.

"Just how long have you two been stalking me?" Hoping snark would distract them from whatever forms of torture they were concocting, Jack desperately searched his brain for something else to run his mouth about. Brenton spoke again before he could do so.

"A Winter spirit afraid of water? That's sad, dude, really sad."

Jack didn't have any kind of response to that, too frozen in terror at the direction this was going. Brenton sent a smirk to his partner in crime over Jack's head.

"You should see his face right now. I'm for it; guessing you want the honors of drowning."

Tyson either nodded in response or Jack didn't hear him over the sudden rush of blood in his ears. No, no no no. He couldn't go through that, not again, not again please not again! He must have said some of that out loud by the sounds of laughter that pierced his panic as Tyson carried him to the lake. He couldn't bring himself to care how they mocked the way he flailed in the taller fire spirit's grip.

"Let go of me!" he shouted, voice raising an octave as Brenton melted through the careful layers of ice of his lake, exposing the waters below that had claimed his life three centuries before.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It as just been brought to my attention that it's been an obsecenly long time since I've updated this. So, so sorry to everyone who's been waiting, I lost track of time and half of this chapter took a really sudden tonal shift. But here it is, I'll try to do better for next chapter.

_1968_

"Stay in your room, Jackson, and think about what you've done," Jack mimicked in a mocking tone as he flopped down on his back, ignoring the twinge of pain that shot through his lower stomach in favor of his annoyance, so he could scowl at the ceiling like it was the cause of all of his woes. He did so all very quietly, of course, because that women had ears like a rabbit and he didn't feel like being scolded again.

Jack scoffed at the thought and crossed his arms while he deepened his scowl. This was so, totally stupid!  Not only had he been scolded and yelled at for something that wasn't his fault – or at least it wasn't really—but he'd also been confined to his room like a misbehaving child.

Which, just for the record, he wasn't. At all. Two hundred and fifty years should have firmly taken him out of the 'child' category, thank you very much, mom. But she still treated him like a helpless little kid.

He huffed again; sent to his room, honestly. It wasn't even his room! It was just some random space Sera had cleared out in the little cottage in the Amazon she'd taken to calling home right around when Jack came along, for the very purpose of holding him hostage when she felt the need. And she'd use his full name in that way that had him feeling like he was just a misbehaving child, and with that look in her eyes that had him cowering and slinking off to do whatever she said. He hated when she did that.

 He sat up, wandered back and forth across the room, and then flopped back onto his bed, the pain in his lower stomach pushing closer to the front of his consciousness.  It was getting worse as his annoyance faded, making him jittery. He sat up again, paced and fell onto his back again, got up and paced, fell onto the bed in a continuous cycle until he was all but wearing a trench into the floor, unable to get comfortable with all his annoyance that was just barely covering the blooming pain.

What was the big deal? He thought in a grumble.

So he'd made a blizzard that was a little out of season, so what? They were having a longer Winter this year anyway, and it wasn't like this was the first blizzard he'd ever made in the early Spring, or even the worst one; and he'd never been sent to his room with those. And if it was about Easter, that wasn't his fault. How was he supposed to know it was Easter Sunday; he hadn't been allowed into the world for over three months!

So really, if you thought about it, this was all mom's fault.  She was the one who went into yet another worry fit because he got into (another) fight with that fire spirit he'd met over a hundred years ago. Jack always met that guy during some aftermath of trying to go against Sera on something, now that he thought about it. He wondered if that was a sign of some kind. He hummed at the thought, then fixed another scowl on his face so he could get the annoyance back. He failed to see how it was fair that, even though the fire spirit had attacked Jack not the other way around, he was the one who had been punished and put under house arrest.

 Yes, he'd snuck out of Sera's domain, but it was only because he felt like he was going to die of boredom if he stayed another second: three months was his limit on imprisonment, especially with Sera as jailor.  First, he'd gone to his lake to sulk for a bit. Then, because he had way too much pent-up energy, he'd gone south with the intent of giving a few sprinklings of snow to the southern hemisphere, and maybe, just maybe, he'd hoped to see that summer spirit again and get him to leave Jack alone once and for all. And on his way there…..

He shuddered and drew his throbbing arm to his chest as he sat up once more. It was best if he checked it and just got it over with, he reasoned for comfort. Still trembling, he gently, hesitantly, pulled the long sleeve of his oversized sweater away from his right arm, only to yank it back into place when he got the smallest glimpse of the damage beneath. It hurt all the more now that he was thinking about it and saw it. So did his lower stomach, where'd he'd been kicked, over and over again by a large booted, flaming foot. And his left cheek, where'd a slap had sent him roughly to the ground for said kicking.

Jack brought his knees to his chest, tucking his arm between his knees and chest, trying not to sob. Why did this keep happening? What had he done to earn this, this hatred and pain? He stayed curled up like that for a long while, unable to move even when he heard the door to his room open with a loud creak.

"Jack?"

He only curled in on himself tighter at the voice, so much so that he thought he would disappear into himself until he felt a warm hand run through his hair. For a split second he went tense all over, but then the warmth of the touch seeped into him and he leaned into it with a content sigh. Jack pushed further and further to the hand until he fell into a warm bodied chest that smelt of flowers and the various trees of the rain forest, comforting in its familiarity. He breathed deeply and wrapped his good arm around that long torso. For a moment he let himself bask in that comfort, but with the dam against his emotions broken, it wasn't long until Jack broke down and clung to her as he full-heartedly sobbed.

"Jack, honey, what's wrong?" Sera glanced down at the boy in concern. Here she'd been, ready to ask if the boy had learned his lesson and give him another tongue-lashing if he gave her any lip. Instead, Jack was a shivering mess of tears. And Jack wasn't one to cry over anything small, which meant he was upset with more than a simple punishment. "Jack? Baby, what is it?"

"It hurts," came the strangled reply from her chest.

"What hurts? Tell me what's wrong, baby."

This time Jack held out his trembling arm as a reply. Sending another glance to where Jack's face was still hidden in her chest, Sera gently peeled the sleeve of Jack's newest fashion – a rather ghastly-looking over-sized red sweater—to look at his forearm. Beneath the fabric, Jack's pale of arm was a mess a mangled, burned skin from wrist to elbow.

"What happened?!" When Jack only whimpered and trembled, Sera gentled the tone of her voice and soothing hand through his wild hair. "It's okay, baby. I'll make it better, it's okay," she promised as she glanced back at his arm.

Still shushing him soothingly, Seraphina placed one long fingered hand, palm down, onto the nasty burn. Jack jumped and flinched at the touch to his tender arm, but relaxed as the pain ebbed almost the second her hand came in contact with the burn. It closed slowly under the green glow emanating from her hand, and Jack relaxed completely as the searing pain vanished. Sera smoothed his hair down and placed a kiss on his hair, drawing Jack's gaze.

“Does it hurt anywhere else?" Grilling him for answers on the source of this horrid injury could wait until he wasn't hurting, she told herself firmly. Even though the desire to do so and hunt down whoever was responsible and make sure they died in horrible, burning agony was more than temping when Jack turned newly frightened, teary eyes up to her. She grounded her teeth hard to quell the impulse, keeping her face calming and blank as she kept smoothing down his hair – why did it always look like Jack never bothered to brush it? She placed another sweet kiss on his forehead to encourage an answer.

"My chest," he said finally.

"All right. Lie back, baby, let me see it."

Jack hesitated but did so, slowly stretching out to lie flat on his back. Taking a deep breath to calm her growing worry and anger and running her hand through Jack's hair once more in an attempt to ease his nerves, Sera lifted his shirt. Much like his arm, the boy's lower chest and stomach were a mess of bruises and burns. Sera took another breath and healed Jack molted torso like she had his arm. Then she stroked his hair until the little trembles of pain and anxiety passed.

"Jack, why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

Jack tensed at the question and the tone of anger that Sera couldn't quite keep out of her voice. He shrugged nonchalantly, attempting to pacify the conversation. Instead, all it did was anger her fully, and she snapped and jerked him up right.

"Jackson," she growled in warning, using that reprimanding tone that made him feel so young and stupid.

"It happened when I left. I left and you told me not to and you were already so mad when I got back and I didn't want you more mad," he said in a rush, avoid her gaze.

"I'd never be mad because you were hurt!" She sighed when Jack sent her a dubious look, realizing it sounded like she was very mad at him for being hurt.

"I'm not mad," she tried to amend only for Jack to deepen his doubtful. "No, I-I mean, I'm not mad at you. Well I am, but it's not—well it is but—it just—you make everything so difficult, you know that?!" she stuttered out, dropping her face into her hands.

Jack sat by and watched her meekly. His emotions were a swirl of anxiety, amusement, and guilt at seeing Sera stutter in such a way, and being the cause of it. Sera ran both hands through her hair and took a deep breath before she brought her head back up to meet Jack's gaze.

"All right. All right, I'm mad, and I'm a little mad at you, and I'm mad that you're hurt; but I'm not mad at you because you're hurt. Does that make sense?"

"No," Jack said after a moment, his brow furrowed in confusion. Sera blew out a frustrated breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, look," she tried again, taking one of Jack's hands in her own, "I'm mad, because you're hurt, and you didn't tell me about it. I'm worried about you and I'm scared for you and I don't know how to fix this or help you. That makes me angry, and I'm very, very bad at controlling my temper. But none of that is your fault. Do you understand?"

This time, Jack slowly nodded, "I think so."

She smiled warmly and gave his hand a squeeze. She waited a beat before drawing his gaze again.

"Good. Now, can you tell me what happened?" Silence was the only reply. "Can you tell me why you hid it from me, then?"

Jack cleared his throat, licked his lips nervously and broke eye contact. Sera forced herself to be patient and keep quiet as her boy gather his thoughts.

"I felt so stupid," he admitted finally. At Sera's confused look, Jack elaborated, "I had to hide here, with you, just because some stupid fire spirit's been bullying me and I couldn't handle it. It made me feel so….. a-and I left because, well because I was going insane from confinement, bu-but mostly because – I just wanted to prove I wasn't some stupid little kid and that I could handle my own problems!" Jack broke off to pull at his hair in agitation. "But instead, I got my ass kicked and I had to come running back here like a baby. I was embarrassed, and annoyed because you sent me to my room so, yeah.”

Silence fell over the room for a moment before Sera let out a sigh. "Jack…. I wouldn't have sent you to your room if you told me you were hurt."

Jack gave a small grin a huffed a little laugh. The smile fell away like water as he half mindedly rubbed at his newly healed arm, his eyes distant and haunted.

"Mom, what's wrong with me?"

"Baby," she started, heart aching at the conversation familiar from so long ago.

"This…spirit, hates me so much. And he keeps hurting…. he hurt me so much, mom, and he wouldn't stop. I thought he was… I though he would've—I was so scared," he said, voice teary. "Then the storm, I didn't mean to make it!" He promised, a touch desperate. "I just, I had to make him stop. And I snowed out Easter, and the Easter Bunny was so mad at me, he said if I ever did it again he'd…. Why does everyone hate me so much? What did I do?" He choked out, trying not to cry but unable to stop it.

"Jack," Sera said firmly, grasping both of Jack's thin shoulders. "Nothing is wrong with you, understand? Absolutely nothing.”

“Then why—“

"Don’t interrupt, just listen.   There’s nothing wrong with you, because you're my little boy.  To say such a thing is a great personal offence," she said lightly, earning a small laugh mingled with a sob. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and smoothed his hair down once more. "I love you, baby," she continued, kissing his head again, "so much. More than anything in this world. And I can't tell you how the minds of other spirits' work, but there is nothing wrong with you," she promised, leaving no room for doubt, so Jack nodded and she drew him to a tight hug.

"I love you too, mom," he said as he clung to her, allowing the warmth of that love chase away the fear and pain of that Easter of 1968.

X

"We have to find him! We have to make this right!" Tooth yelled, for what felt like the hundredth time in less than an hour as she fluttered about the room.

No sooner had Jack left the premises that full panicked chaos broke out once more in the workshop. North did his best to get his workers calmed and the mess left in the wake of Jack's rage cleaned up. And while he was doing that, Bunny and Sandy did the best they could to keep Tooth from darting out the window after the boy. Unfortunately, in the hour since the incident, that was all they'd managed to accomplish. Now, Bunny thought grimly as he watched the fairy dart closer and closer to the window, it looked like they were headed right back to step one.

"Tooth, we all wanna find him. We all wanna make this better; but the kid's mad and goin' after him so soon will—" Bunny went ridged, leaving him so tense that he couldn’t finish.  The workshop went quiet; conversations abruptly died, the elves’ jingling hats halted, the very air was deathly still.  Every prey-animal instinct in him screamed _danger_ and his heart raced as he turned toward the threat. 

Sera’s gaze pinned him in place.

There was a frozen moment of clam as they stared at one another, and Sera’s arm whipped out and sent him flying across the room.  Bunny slammed into the far wall.  The others rushed forward, only to be forced back by a torrent of wind.  Sera immobilized them with a cold stare over her shoulder, then looked back to Bunny.

The Easter spirit managed to push himself upright.  Nothing felt broken, though it was hard to get air into his lungs.  He heaved in a breath and looked up at her in bewildered indignation.

“What the hell’s got your knickers in such a twist?!”

"I’m sure if you think really hard on it, you’ll figure it out.”  Her voice was soft, but the deadly edge to her presence still lingered.  A blast of wind slammed into Bunny’s side and smacked him into another wall.  The others cried out concerns, but were smart enough not to move against Sera again.

"How dare you,” she hissed.  “I trusted you to look after my son.  And on your first day, you decide that the best way to look after him is to rape his mind.”

Bunny flinched so violently that he cracked his head against the wall.  "Sera, that's not—"

"It was no like that in any—"

"Please don’t think like that —"

"QUIET!” 

The walls trembled in the wake of Sera’s voice.  Three sets of jaws clicked shut, and the protesting symbols over Sandy’s head fell apart.  “I don’t want to hear your excuses.  I don’t want to hear—Dammit I actually believed you could do this!”  Her composure slipped for the first time as she sent a table of toy trains flying.  “He’s been so happy with you, and I really thought you could be good for him, in spite of everything I’ve seen to the contrary.  I really believed you’d take care of him.”

Ouch.   Bunny didn’t think he could feel any worse after seeing the pain they’d inflicted on Jack.  But hearing the disappointment and betrayal in Sera’s voice did just that.  Bunny pushed himself to his feet as Tooth tentatively drifted over to Seraphina.

“Sera, I know we made a mess of things, but we were just afraid for him—” Tooth began.

“I don’t care.”  The cold demeaner slammed back over her features.  “The only reason you’re all not dead is the fact that Jack would never forgive me for it.  No matter how much you’ve hurt him.”  Sera folded her hands behind her back, coolly stared each of them down.  “In light of everything that’s happened over the last few days, I’m removing you from Jack’s life.  None of you will ever see him again.”

“No,” Tooth’s terrified cry flew out on the heels of North’s shout.

“You can’t do that.”

“Can’t?  I can and will do anything to keep my son safe.  If that means cutting you out of his life, I can, and I will.  I’d rather have him hate me for awhile than let you continue to hurt him.”

“Sera, please no,” Tooth said, near tears.

A flicker of something close to sympathy passed over Sera’s face, then disappeared just as fast.  That little flicker was enough to break Bunny’s paralysis.  They could still reach her, talk her out of this.  There was still hope.  He darted forward like he could block her from disappearing.

“You’re not going to do that.”

“Excuse me?”  The glare she focused on Bunny was so intense he was surprised that he didn’t spontaneously combust.

“You’re not going to do that,” he repeated, too afraid of what they could loss to worry about losing his life.  “Because you need us, and so does Jack.”

“You’re Man in the Moon made that same argument, and that’s what got us into this situation.”

“We got this far because you know that he had a point, and so do I.  He needs our help.”

“The help you’ve given him so far—"

“I know the signs that I saw in those memories. Jack was Gifted, wasn’t he?" Sera was silent, only studying Bunny critically, and he took it as encouragement to go on. "You’ve never had experience with power like that.  It’s not something you can help him with, but _I_ can. 

“I don’t know how you’ve been handlin’ it over the years, and maybe he didn’t even know what he could do before now.  But now that he’s got his memories back, that Gift is only gonna get stronger.  You need me to help him control it before things get out of hand." He waited a beat and plunged ahead, bracing for the explosion he knew was coming, "He killed a man, Sera, and the longer you wait, the more likely somethin’ like that’ll happen again."

There was a brief pause of silence between when Sera's face went blank as she processed the words and when she snarled with another blast of wind. She stalked forward, and Aster felt the tug of electricity over his fur as she stood nose to nose with him. So, this was how he was going to die. From the looks of things, he was going to have his still beating heart ripped out as he was cooked by a bolt of lightning from the inside out. Not how he'd thought he'd go out.

"He was a frightened child.  He was scared and hurt and angry, so he lashed out with unfathomable power he didn't even know he had!  He is not a murder.  He was, he was scared," she muttered at the end, huffing from the exertion of her anger, and probably willing herself not to rip Aster's heart out.

Well, he wasn't dead yet, so he might as well go on. Bunny took another preparatory breath.

"Phina," he said in a light whisper, soft and private and just for the two of them, using his childhood nickname for her as he gently grabbed her hand. She snatched her hand back, but her face crumbled, the sound of that affectionate name that was special between her and Aster through their childhood colliding with her rampant anger.

"Ya know that's not what I mean," he went on. "But, no matter what else, a man is dead because of him. How do ya think he's feelin' about that right now?  There are some things he won’t be able to tell his mum, but maybe he’d tell me.” 

Sera let out a heavy sigh, and he was sure he heard a tremble of tears.  He itched to touch her and comfort, but he settled for giving her an imploring look.  "Sera, please, I just want to help him.  Let me help."

She took in a shaky breath, then looked Bunny dead in the eye and gave a sharp nod.  “Fine.  We’d better find somewhere quiet to sit down.”

North, Sandy, and Tooth darted forward to join them.  Sera threw a hand up, and though no power flew from her, the others came to an immediate stop.  “No, not you.  Aster’s made it abundantly clear that he’s essential for Jack’s well-being.  You three have done no such thing, and while Aster is going to have _limited”_ She directed a hard look at Bunny, “contact with Jack, the three of you will still never see him again.”

Sera turned on her heels without another word. Tooth watched the other woman go in stunned silence, then she and North bolted to Aster’s side.  Sandy was hovered behind them, symbols flying over his head in endless blur.

“You cannot let her do this,” North said, eyes wild.

“Bunny, please, there has to be some way to fix this.”

“Hold it, hold it,” Bunny snapped, heart pounding.  “We need to take this slow; it’s a miracle I managed to convince her to keep me around.  If we keep pushin’ her, she’s just gonna dig her heels in even more.”

“She cannot take Jack away from us,” North said again.

“I’ll do what I can to keep the kid with us.  Once we get Jack to way in, Sera will see reason.”  Assuming the kid didn’t still hate them, Bunny thought grimly.  “Just take it easy.  We’ll work this out.”

His friends backed off.  North and Tooth huddled together, clinging to one another and watching him with wide eyes.  Sandy floated by their side, placed a steadying hand on North’s shoulder.  Bunny chest tightened, and he tried to mask the matching terror in his own expression.  He nodded to them in reassurance, then went to find Sera.

She was in North’s office, seated in the big man’s chair like she was on a throne.  Bunny barely resisted slamming the door as he entered

“Did you get off hurting them like that?  Because, job well done.”

She didn’t say anything, just watched him with that same blank expression.  The mask that said Seraphina was gone, and Mother Nature was leading the conversation.  He hadn’t seen that expression in over five centuries, when he first came across her on Earth.  And it hurt, thinking of how much she’d warmed up to him; it was almost like they were children again.  Hurt washed away the shield of his anger, leaving him with nothing but tired emptiness.  He sank down into the chair across from her, running a hand over his ears.

“Look, Sera.  This whole situation is an ugly mess, but we meant the best.  They didn’t deserve that.”  Nothing in her expression so much as twitched.  His heart sank.  One step at a time, he reminded himself.  “Let’s just – Just tell me what I should be expecting here.”

“You’re meant to be my oh-so-indispensable expert in this area: why don’t you tell me?”  Sera said coolly.

Bunny’s eye twitched in irritation.  He took a breath, reminded himself that losing his temper would do no good, and was likely exactly what Sera hoped to provoke, and thought over the evidence he had.

“Given the power we saw, I’d say he was a damn impressive Reader.  Telepathic abilities can be rough, but I know some exercises that’ll lay the groundwork that he needs—"

"Fair guess, but not quite,” Sera interrupted, a spark of interest in her eyes. “Jack was an Empath."

Taken aback, Bunny shook his head.  “Empaths don’t have that kind of power."

Humans with an empathic ability were rare and the scope of their powers was fairly limited; they could sense and to some extent shape the emotions of those around them.  The Gift usually manifested in early adulthood, and produced a similar intuition that children had to the spirit world.  It tended to draw spirits to them, and there inlay the danger to most Empaths.  The adult mind isn't equipped to handle the existence of the spirit world like as that of a child's, and the natural reaction of an Empath was to fight it.  The nearly inevitable result, without some outside interference, was the Gift turning inward and tearing at the Empath’s sanity. They would isolate themselves, become deranged and frightening to those around them. 

The most common scenario was a witch hunt, in which the Empath and dozens of other misunderstood innocents were slaughtered.

 Fascinating though it was, it was nothing close to the power Jack had displayed as a human child.

"Not typically, your correct," Sera agreed, "Jack is a member of a fascinating sub-set of Empath that develops their Gift during childhood.  Their minds are flexible enough to take the strain, so they don't fight their potential like adults do. They become much stronger. I can count the number of the Empaths like this I’ve met over the years on one hand, and all of them became my spirits. I try to recruit any I find the moment I find them; they're like beacons in the spirit world, and all manner of things are drawn to them, and not all are friendly. It can be just as dangerous as any witch hunt.”

“Is that why Pitch was hanging around him so much of his life?”  The remarkable thing about watching human memories with an immortal eye was that you picked up on things that were often lost on humans.  Like a certain Boogeyman who seemed to be stalking a teenage human, even when the boy had, rather forcibly, given up his belief.  Pitch had hovered over Jack like a second shadow from the moment the boy forced the dark spirit from his home. Particularly, Bunny remembered, when the boy was in direct distress.  Like with Barnes.

"Partially.  Jack was one of the few Believers Pitch managed to gain when he came to the New World, and certainly the one who gave him the most attention.  And, I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but the man has a rather obsessive personality.  He latched on, it’s what he does.” 

She braced her elbows on her knees, pride and excitement erasing animosity for a moment. “When I found Jack, he already had the makings of one of the most powerful Empaths I'd ever come across. Even at barely five years old, he could read and manipulate, to a degree, the emotions of his fellow villagers. A number of wind and snow sprites had already been drawn to him, as had my father. But he was too young for me to recruit, so I did the next best thing. After the slight brush with my emotions almost shredded his mind – he wasn't quite ready for something as old and alien as my emotions – I put a light seal around his abilities, allowing only the capability to read emotions to leak through.  It allowed him to keep his tolerance to his Gift, but cut him off from the dangers his full power exposed him to."

“Until Barnes,” Bunny guessed.

"Yeah,” Sera agreed in a saddened whisper, delight giving way to melancholy.  “I meant to keep the seal in place until I approached him about recruitment later in life, after he'd had a chance to really live it.  But emotional trauma is one of the things that can trigger physic Gifts.  The death of Aidan O'Shea was enough of a trauma that it broke through my seal, and gave Jack full access to the full scope of his power.  And, well, when you give potentially limitless power to an emotional teenager, it's just asking for disaster."

It was said lightly, like a joke, but Bunny knew the signs of avoidance when he saw them. There was a heavy silence in the room for a while. Bunny leaned forward to meet her eyes.

"Sera, what happened that night?"

The Nature spirit sighed and tugged nervously at her hair.  “Jonas Barnes was a very sad example of an empath gone wrong. Very wrong.  From what I understand, a couple of paranoia spirits latched onto him and toyed with his mind, cutting him off from the rest of the village. When he encountered Jack, and sensed that the boy was another Empath, that paranoia focused on Jack and turned to violence.  The best way I can think to describe what happened the night Aidan died it is that Jack…threw his emotions – his fear, his anger, his pain – at the Barnes.  Even another Empath can’t withstand a physic attack like that and Jack's emotions tore into his mind, triggered a small stroke.  And destroyed whatever sanity he had left. 

“Barnes deteriorated further from that point.  When he abducted Jack and saw Pitch hovering over him… witch-craft became the only feasible explanation, maybe even the cause of all of his woes.  His only course of action was to obliterate that source.  When he attacked, Jack's power lashed out, subconsciously, in defense of his life," she said forcefully, staring Bunny down both vehemently and imploringly, "and the second attack triggered a cascading series of events that induced a heart attack.  Jack essentially stopped his heart."

Heavy silence fell over the room in the wake of that.  "Has Jack shown any of these abilities as an immortal?" Bunny said after a while.

"Not to the extent of his human life, no. It has manifested in a high sense of intuition and a unique authority as the Spirit of Winter, however. I gave all my seasonals a high level of persuasive power over lower season sprites.  It’s small and mostly encourages cooperation, but with Jack it's almost like mind control. The Winter sprites literally cannot not listen to him. It's fascinating." Sera clamped down on her excitement, quickly hiding her smile with a cough. "But, as you pointed out, I think that may very likely change with the return of his memories."

The wind barreled through the room with a high-pitched shriek before the conversation could go any further. Unlike Sera's blast meant to gain attention or express her anger, this breeze whirled around the room like it had a mind of its own and showed something like a panic before it wrapped around the Spirit of Nature. Sera tilted her head, seeming to listen to the wind.

The other’s forced their way into the room just as her eyes widened in terror.  Tooth made and immediate beeline to her side.

"Sera, what is it?"

"Jack. He's in trouble." That had everyone jumping up and demanding answers. Sera's look of fear turned frazzled and then angry. "Quiet! Aira!" She snapped, looking sharply at the strongest concentration of the freak wind that kept blowing despite the closed windows. "Slow down and tell me what's going on." She paused and listened again, looking pale. "It's, it's other Seasonals. I can't do anything, I can't step in."

"Where is he?”  North demanded.

Sickly fear immediately gave way to righteous anger.  “Don’t think you can use this impose yourself in his life—”

“Are you really so petty that’ll you’ll leave him in peril just to continue hurting us?!”  The big man loomed over her until they were nearly nose to nose, no trace of his jolly nature to be found.   “I will scour every inch of this Earth if I have to, but it will be better for Jack is you simply _tell me,_ so I can _save him_!”

Sera searched his face.  Whatever she found there made her expression go fragile.

"Burgess Lake. Hurry,” she whispered, shaking

Bunny nodded and moved out of the room, North and Sandy on his heels. He stopped Tooth as she moved to join them, however.

"You stay here, Toothy."

“Bunny, I can’t jut sit here and twiddle my thumbs while you boys do all the work.”

“Wouldn’t dream of askin’ you that.  But I can’t leave her here alone like this,” he said quietly, nodding to Sera who'd half collapsed in the nearest chair. Tooth’s expression softened and she nodded.  Bunny watched Sera jerk away from the fairy’s offer of comfort, then melt into it as she took Tooth’s hand.  He couldn’t help but think that if anyone could convince Sera to keep them in Jack’s life, it was going to be Tooth.  He let that thought warm him, then dashed to join the others to bring the kid home.

X

Jack had never wished for death before. He like to think of himself as an eternal optimist, always looking for the brighter points of things, always knowing no matter how dark things seemed they would always get better. Even in the deepest depths of his loneliness, the lowest points of his life, he never once wished for his life to end.

But this, this torment, was horror beyond anything he'd ever experienced. Tyson crouched over him, keeping his head below the water, and no matter how he tried, Jack could not force him off.

Jack's death as a human had been quick, he knew that when he forced himself to think about it. The shock of the cold water had him taking a breath as soon as his body was submerged. There was a moment of fear as he realized he was dying, a flash of pain as the water filled his lungs, and then his world went dark and it was over. He remembered every detail clearly, and it was both his best and worst memory, but it was quick.

This time the cold didn't shock him into taking a breath. But that only meant he had to struggle against breathing, and that only prolonged his discomfort before he was forced to inhale, only taking in water and filling his lungs, inch by painful inch. And just when he was on the verge of blacking out, or even for a blessed moment when he did black out into near death, his body would jerk back to life. He would flail in panic at the utter agony of his water filled lungs and Tyson would jerk him back to the surface. Then they would repeat the process.

He couldn't fight. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. And worst of all, he couldn't just _die_.

Jack let out a breathless sob at the thought while he lay there in one of the few rare moments of peace, letting the water leak from his lungs through his mouth. How long had they been here? Minutes? Hours? Days, years, decades? He couldn't tell as he lay there trembling in pain and fear, with Tyson and Brenton watching him like kids who decided to see just how many ants they could fry with a magnifying glass. Well, until Brenton turned his attention to his partner looking, oddly enough, rather disturb.

"You're not like, getting off on this, are you?" The only answer he got was a long stare from the other fire spirit, which Brenton seemed to read as offended as he quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Not judging. Just wondering so I know how worried I should be about ever making you angry."

Again there was no verbal response, just a small, cruel smile as the larger spirit moved back to Jack. The younger boy had long since lost the ability to struggle, and really could only moan and whimper as he was dragged back to the gap in the ice.

"Please," Jack croaked, his lip trembling slightly as he pleaded. "Please."

"Dude, save some for me would ya?!" He vaguely heard Brenton complain before his head was forced back under the water.

He didn't have the energy to fight. All he could do was breathe in more water in a futile attempt to find air. His vision went black around the edges and once again he blacked out, going fully limp in Tyson's hold. When he came to once more, it was to the feel of a harsh slap to his cheek. This time it was Brenton crouched over him as he ejected the water from his lungs, and when Jack came back to his senses fully he was able to tell that he as a fair distance from the hole in the ice, and that his hoody and under shirt were both missing.

"Hey, you with us?" Brenton asked with another smack.

Jack only let his head flop to the side and allowed his eye lids to droop. He just wanted to sleep. God, there was never anything else he wanted in his life more than to sleep right now. Sleep and maybe never wake up. Instead, he was jerked back to reality with a searing drop of pain to his chest. He shrieked and convulsed, only to be held in place.

Brenton hummed dragged a burning finger down Jack's chest, leaving a line of burnt flesh in his wake. Jack screamed and cried and struggled as it went on and on, each cry tearing his already tormented throat raw. The pain of burning didn't go on as long as the drowning, but it was no less pleasant, and Jack didn't know how much more he could take.

"See, isn't this so much more fun than just watching him flop around like a fish?" Brenton asked his partner. But the larger spirit only gave him a displeased scowl.

"No," he grumbled, marching forward and snagged Jack's arm.

"Hey!" Brenton complained when Jack was jerked out of his hold. "You already had your turn."

Brenton grabbed his other arm and attempted to drag him back. Tyson only growled and jerked harder on his end, making no other reply. A competition of tug-of-war broke out from there, both fire spirits pulling on their respective arm while Jack just flopped around uselessly. That was all he could do really: lie there and hope whoever won this game was the better choice over who lost. Burning or drowning – come to think of it, Jack couldn't really decide who would be better.

Guess I'll find out when one of them wins, he decided tiredly.

That, or maybe they would rip him in half. Maybe that would be the better outcome.

But whatever he might have preferred, it was Tyson who won with a knockout punch to Brenton's mid-section – by which he meant that Tyson incinerated the other spirit. And one thing Jack knew for sure was he most definitely couldn't handle another drowning. He'd just forced his arm up in a pathetic attempt to hit the other spirit away when an outraged voice called out to his left. Then something wrapped around his waist and he was jerked away, this time clear off the lake.

He could hear more angry yells as he was lifted by a pair of furry arms – hey, this felt familiar, he thought, feeling hysterically giddy.

 Jack let his head flop against Bunny's chest, listening to the rabbit's strong heartbeat. With the steady thumps acting as a lullaby, Jack was finally, finally able to drift off into a peaceful sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_1998_

Jack's spirit childhood had been, in the grand scheme of things, extremely sheltered. It was a fact that rather annoyed the winter spirit whenever he had the chance to think over it. In over two hundred and eighty years as a spirit, Jack had met a grand total of three spirits, not counting the Easter Bunny and that fire spirit who was hell bent on wiping Jack off the face of the planet and whose name Jack didn't even know. Or any of the other countless spirits who hated his guts whose names Jack hadn't had the chance to learn. It wasn't only because everyone despised the ground that Jack walked on, and because Jack by extension avoided them. It was because Sera practically kept him under lock and key because so many spirits were out for his head.

Things had gotten significantly worse, since the blizzard thirty years prior that put him on the Easter Bunny's S-list and severely peeved off all other seasonal spirits. And the fact that Jack, as Sera put it, 'attracted more trouble than a lightning rod drew lightening bolts', didn't help to reduce the level of the Nature women's paranoid over-protectiveness. There were times when Jack wasn't allowed so much as a foot outside of his mother's sight—and if he needed to leave to perform his duties as the Winter seasonal Sera would accompany him, much to Jack's mortification. She made it clear, when Jack raised his complaints, that things weren't going to change any time soon.

But apparently, she'd changed her mind.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Jack whined for what may as well have been the thousandth time in less than an hour as Sera fussed over him.

She'd wrangled him out of his preferred clothes – claiming that they were falling apart at the seams, no matter how much Jack objected to the contrary – and into what she deemed 'proper clothing for her Winter Prince', making Jack groan and blush in embarrassment. His deer skin trousers and new sweater had been traded in for a cloak of heavy midnight blue material and pants to match. His under-shirt from his birth had met a similar fate, replaced with a silk cream colored blouse. Sera had even forced him into a pair of black ankle high boots, even knowing how much he hated foot wear.

He complied with them only because it was the only way convinced her not to throw away the clothes he'd been born in; he'd had to retire the cloak over half a century ago, so he'd grown even more attached to his remaining clothes. There was also threats of a crown that had Jack stifling most of his complaints. And, most importantly, because she'd promised that Jack would only have to wear the ridiculous get-up for the day and for similar special occasions.

"Because I don't want your siblings to see you and think I let you live like a wild animal," Sera replied as she attempted to pull his hair into place. It was a lost cause, she knew, but she could at least get it to a manageable level. In theory, she thought with a frown when the tufts of hair remained stubbornly mussed.

Jack winced at her words, as well as the feel of her fingers tugging at his hair. His siblings, the other three seasonal spirits. Jack had never met them, never seen so much as a glimpse of them, and yet Sera had decided out of the blue that it was time for them to meet him. It made the winter boy very nervous; his meetings with others of his kind did not have the most stellar track record.

Would the spirit of Summer be the same as the other hot seasoned spirits Jack had met? If so, would mom be able to protect him from his supposed 'brother' if things went bad? Of course she would, stupid question. But what if things went wrong and the Summer spirit attacked him when mom wasn't around? And what about the spirit of Spring? Jack didn't have the best past with her underlings, either. And then there was the spirt of Autumn. Jack didn't have any run-ins with her or any of the lower spirits. But would that change when they met? What if—

"Jack," Sera said gently, pulling Jack out of his thoughts. "Everything's going to be fine. Just relax."

"What if they don't like me?" He muttered, finishing his thought aloud.

"Baby, they're going to love you," she assured, placing a kiss on Jack's cool forehead.

"But—"

"They're your family, they'll love you."

Jack sighed but conceded the point. All he could really do was see this through and hope for the best. And if they didn't like him, Jack thought fiercely even though it made his throat tighten up to do so, if they didn't like him then he—

"They are going to like you, now stop it," Sera chided, flicking his nose to smooth out that frown of worry he'd had on his face ever since she'd mentioned that the last three seasons were coming for a visit. It worked, thankfully, and Jack gave a tentative smile.

"How come I've never seen them before?"

"Because they're very busy."

"What, and I'm not?"

"You are," she agreed, finally deeming his hair decent enough. Or, more accurately, she couldn't try to tame it anymore, "but they're all a good deal older than you. And they don't attract trouble quite as much as you do."

"Yeah, yeah. Lightning rod and lightning bolts, I know. So, what, you've never held them hostage before?" He meant it as a joke, but when Sera gave him a laugh and a nod in return, his insides went to ice. "You're kidding. Never?"

Sera nodded and Jack let out a devastated shriek, pulling at his hair and undoing all of Sera's hard work, much to her disapproval.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"How could you do that to me? Are you trying to ruin any chance of a life I have?!"

"Now wait just a second, young man—"

"How am I supposed to face them now?" Jack went on, not noticing his mother's growing anger at his tone. "Knowing you baby me and not them. Do you have any idea how that looks?"

"No, but I guess we'll find out," she said, voice deathly calm as she grabbed his arm and marched out of the room.

"What, no! Mom, I can't—"

"You'll just have to get over it," she snapped, and Jack finally got the message to just keep quiet and go along with it.

If only he could find a way to get through this with any part of his teenage pride still intact.

 

X

Apparently pride was out of the question. Jack tried to convince her to let him come in separately for at least some illusion of independence, but Sera was determined. So Jack was force to suck it up, and he stood next to his mother in his ridiculous get-up as the first of his siblings arrived. The spirit was about Jack's age, maybe a few years older, and female. Judging by her attire of a dirt brown dress and cape the color of burnt pumpkin, Jack pegged her as the Autumn seasonal.

She was just a few inches shorter than Jack, although her crazy head of curly of honey brown hair nearly made up for those lost inches. The girl wasn't nearly as rail thin as most elemental spirits, but instead had a number of heathy, attractive – he could say that only because he was a teenage boy with eyes, it excused any kind of creepy from that thought– curves to her. Her skin was a shade darker than his and her eyes, Jack realized with a jolt, were the same color as his. The same sky blue and framed by dark lashes on a small heart shaped face. Jack found that the similarity put him more at ease than he'd been all morning; it was like they really were related. The girl made bounded over to Sera with a happy smile that the Nature woman returned as she swept the girl up in a tight hug.

"Wonderful to see you, honey," Sera said when they broke apart.

She placed a kiss on the girl's head and frowned as she picked at the ugly cloak. But other than radiate her disapproval, Sera didn't say anything, which really irked Jack. She never stopped gripping about the things he wore, what the heck? Weren't girls supposed to be more focused on…..okay, that sounded a little sexist, Jack thought with a small wince. Luckily he was saved from going further down that train of thought when Sera motioned to him.

"Jack," Sera said, placing an arm around his shoulder, "this is Mabon Leaves, the Spirit of Autumn. Mabon," she nodded to the Autumn girl, "This is Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter."

Jack smiled and rubbed his neck shyly as Mabon's eyes left Sera and zipped to him. He moved forward, offered a hand after deciding the polite route was best and tried giving a wider smile.

"Hi—"

Jack didn't get anything else out – other than a loud oof – before Mabon pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Wow, she may have been shorter than him, but the girl had some serious muscles on her. Jack patted her on the back somewhat awkwardly while he tried to force air into his pancaked lungs. Luckily, the death grip only lasted a few seconds before Mabon pushed him back and flashed a cheerful smile.

"Hello there," she greeted with enthusiasm, grabbing Jack's shoulders and giving them a small shake. "Finally, someone younger than me! I thought I was always going to be the baby." Jack tried not to cringe at that.

"I'm so glad to meet you." She leaned in closer to whisper into Jack's ear, shooting a glance over to Sera before she did, "We all had bets going that mom was going to lock you away in a tower before we ever got the chance to see you."

Jack _did_ cringe at that, along with a depressed groan. Mabon only smiled and linked her arm with his, turning him to look at where Sera was moving to welcome the next spirit.

The spirit was another woman, and she was by far the largest woman Jack had ever seen in his entire life. She had a good half a head on Sera, who up to that point had been the tallest person Jack had ever seen, and was also extremely built, lush and boisterous, giving her an even more towering figure. The girl, or woman as Jack observed to be a more apt description seeing as she was just a few years younger than Sera, presented a unique kind of beauty, with her mighty build and chiseled features. Her olive skin that was pulled over a pair of sharp cheek-bones suggested a Mediterranean origin, although her piercing green eyes and silver hair spoke of more northern heritage.

Jack chewed over that puzzle as Mabon steered him over to where Sera and the newcomer were exchanging greetings of heartfelt hugs. He figured she had to be the Spring spirit, not only because he knew the Spirit of Summer to be male and Spring was therefore the only season left for representation, but also because of her attire. Her gown was flowing and made of a heavy hunter green material with splashes of bright color in the beads embodied on her chest that reminded Jack of spring flowers. Her cloak was the same color – and what was with the fancy combo of way too heavy clothes and a matching cape, honestly? – and Jack figured that only a Spring associated spirit would wear that much green. Jack almost snorted at that thought but stopped the sound as he and Mabon came up to the woman.

"Demeter, Spirit of Spring, this is Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter," Sera introduced with a wave.

"Demeter, like the Greek goddess?" The confused question came out before Jack could stop it; even so, he folded his lips in a futile attempt to shut up when those bright green eyes zeroed in on him.

"Exactly like the Greek goddess," she replied, said country of origin heavy in her voice.

"Oh." Was he supposed to bow? Jack wondered. Didn't you typically bow around gods and goddesses?

"Demi!" Mabon darted forward and clung to Demeter's waist with that happy squeal. The Spring woman smiled gently and returned the enthusiastic hug with just as much force.

"Hello Mabon, dear. It's been too long."

Apparently that was a no to the bowing, Jack noted. Smiling happily at the heart-warming scene, Jack made his way over, hand extended. A hand-shake seemed like it would be the most expectable approach. Maybe, this time.

"Nice to meet you….." he trailed off for a moment. How did one address a Greek goddess? 'Demi' didn't seem quite appropriate seeing as he just met her. "Your majesty?" He finished finally.

Demeter stared at the offered hand for a moment and then burst out laughing. She grasped his arm at the elbow, pulled him close and kissed both cheeks, still laughing all the while. When she finished she tucked Jack under her arm and kept the other one around Mabon as she turned to look at Sera.

"He's a gem, Mama."

"I tend to think so," Sera agreed, flashing Jack a little smile. "Now, where's your brother?"

Jack went stiff, earning a concerned glance from Mabon. Demeter, on the other hand, only rolled her eyes with a snort.

"You know him. He couldn't be on time if you stamped a clock onto his forehead."

Sera laughed and shook her head fondly. "All right, then we'll just have to start without him."

With that she turned on her heels and strolled over to the waiting feast. She was followed closely by Demeter, then Mabon and finally Jack who trailed behind as he was lost deep in his thoughts. He knew shouldn't have been so afraid of the Summer spirit, Autumn and Spring hadn't been as bad as he feared. But still, previous encounters with summer and fire sprites haunted his mind, and he was nervous about meeting someone more powerful than all of those sprites combined.

"Hey." Mabon fell back to match pace with Jack, linking their arms again. She waited until his worried eyes met hers before she went on, "Don't worry. He's a teddy bear, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Jack smiled, still not fully reassured, but he quickened his pace so they joined Sera and Demeter at the buffet table. As they dug into the wide array of food, Jack found himself relaxing more and more. He listened to stories about how the girls came to spirithood: Demeter, already worshipped as a goddess in Greece was the oldest of them, and Mabon was the second youngest.

Sera had come to Demeter with the offered job as the Spirit of Spring shortly after the fall of the Greek civilization. When faced with the likelihood of fading from existence with the majority of her believer base scattered to the winds, it wasn't a difficult choice. For Mabon, Sera had been there from the start. The Autumn spirit was born from the holiday of Mabon, a celebration of the Fall equinox. Once Sera became aware of a potential new spirit, she was there to watch Mabon come into existence and to give her purpose as the Autumn seasonal.

Jack found the stories touching, although they made him just a little jealous. The girls had had mom right from day one, and he was left wandering around on his own for nearly a week. Jack tried to shake the thought away because he knew Sera loved him, sometimes a little more than he preferred actually, but the jealousy stayed in the back of his mind through dinner. Other than that, dinner went great, and Jack was at peace.

Until a wave of hot air washed over the table. Then Jack went stiff again as his heart stopped.

It wasn't right to be afraid of this guy just because he was Summer related, he thought in an attempt to calm himself down. That was why other spirits hated Jack so much, because he was of Winter. It wasn't fair for Jack to do the same thing to this spirit. That being said, he couldn't quite get himself to start breathing again as Sera came over to him. She wrapped a tight arm around his shoulder, seeming to know that he needed the comfort, and led him out of the dining room and back to the entrance. Waiting there for them was the Summer seasonal.

He was about the same age as Demeter, maybe even a little older and about Jack's height. He was dark skinned, which to Jack suggested origins in Africa, dressed in dark red garments and a cape of light brown. He had the same brown hair as Mabon and green eyes like Demeter. Jack found that interesting for a moment, the way that each of the four of them shared a feature or two with one of their siblings. The thought made him relax, even if it was so marginal that Jack couldn't even get his shoulders to drop. Still, Sera steered him over to meet the man, keeping a grip a grip that was tight both for comfort and to keep Jack from bolting.

All the while, Jack tried to expel the irrational fear. Don't be scared, don't judge when you haven't even met him, Jack scolded. It's wrong, so wrong!

"Magec Sol, this is Jack Frost."

If Jack shrank into Sera's hold just a little bit when Magec moved forward for a greeting, he didn't think anyone would blame him. But Jack still felt fear finally fall away in the face of crippling guilt when the Summer spirit's smile of greeting fell away. He winced, rubbed his forehead in embarrassment and stepped out of Sera's hold with an apologetic grimace.

"I'm sorry—"

"Nah, nah. I know my underlings have been giving you some trouble. I wish….. I can't do anything about it," Magec said with his own wince.

"Yeah it's not your fault, so… sorry."

"Let's start over." Magec offered his hand, and Jack stared at it dumbly for a second before it hit him and he grasped the hand. A hand shake, finally! The hand was warm under Jack's, but not painfully so like the rest of Jack contact with Summer spirits.

"Nice to meet you," Jack said finally, when he realized he'd been staring with a goofing grin since accepting the hand shake.

"You too." With that Magec looked over Jack's head with a triumphant look. "And you two, pay up! It was less than a thousand years before we finally saw him," he shouted, pointing down at Jack's hair as he did so. Then he leaned in closer to Jack for a conspiratorial whisper, "thank you so much for this. You just won me an extra week to my season."

The man did a happy dance and Jack found himself breaking into laughter. How could he have been afraid of _that_?! Magec let out his own booming laugh and wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders and led him back over to the girls. As he was steered away, Jack caught sight of Sera's knowing smile and knew that he was going to have to live through an 'I told you so' speech when this was over. But he couldn't find it in him to care with so much giddy joy pulsing through him.

 

X

It was after sundown by the time the party – gathering, meeting, however mom wanted to think of it – died down, and Jack figured the five of them were well bonded. They'd laughed and swapped stories with many giggles all through the day. Jack felt content as he watched the three leave and he helped Sera clean up. It felt like a real family gathering, or at least as much as Jack could figure from what he'd observed from other families. He really felt stupid for being so nervous about meeting them.

"Didn't I tell you they would love you?" Sera said as they finished clearing the party debris.

"Yeah, yeah, you told me so," Jack conceded.

"That I did. I don't see why you doubt me."

"Just tradition, I guess."

Sera snorted and gave him a shove. Jack nudged back with a smile and happy sigh. He had a family that was finally extended from one over protective Sera, how could he be any happier? He could get out of this goofy prince-wannabe monkey suit, he decided as plucked at the material with a frown.

"Can I have my clothes back now?"

Sera looked up in surprise, then shook her head, much to Jack's dismay.

"But you said—"

"The pants are salvageable," she interrupted tossing said garment to him. "But the shirt is going in the scrap book to join that cape of yours, where they belong. Now, now, just a minute," she scolded in amusement when Jack let out a whine. "Wait here."

Jack sighed and looked down at his pants in depression. Why did she have to get rid of his clothes? He loved those clothes, they were one of his few constants in his life, along with his staff and Sera. That list of constants was so small that Jack clung to every single one of those things. Jack didn't have much time to pout over it before his mom came back, holding a brown package close to her chest. He looked at in confusion when she handed it to him, blinking up at Sera.

"Merry Christmas, Jack."

"It is?" was all Jack could think to say.

"It is. December twenty fourth as of two minutes ago," she said, referring to the fact that midnight had passed. "I know it's summer down here, so it doesn't have the same feel but," she trailed off, pulling Jack to sit next to her.

"I don't think about holidays all that often," she admitted, "they don't mean that much to me. But they're important to you and I haven't really thought about that. I've been depriving you of those."

"Mom, no—"

"I have, even if I didn't mean to. And I want to make it up to you. So I hope you enjoy your presents. This one," she tapped the package, "is from Santa himself."

"Really?!" Jack's eyes practically bulged out of his skull. He looked down at the package in wonder.

"Really."

"But I thought I wasn't good enough. I think… I'm pretty sure I'm on the Naughty list."

"Again, you doubt me so. It hurts. My skills of persuasion are unparalleled, and I managed to make him see how important your first Christmas is. Now open it up."

Jack did so eagerly, tearing at the paper with a passion. When he pulled out the blue sweater – hoodie, as she recalled they were called – and let out a happy laugh with his eyes shining, Sear found her resolve to let him believe the present was from North, and not just something she found in the charity bins that happened to be his size, strengthen. Parents lied to their children about Santa all the time, she rationalized, and Jack, who was thrilled with something as simple as a shirt, deserved that fantasy as much as any child.

Besides, it's not like he would ever know differently.

#

People thought Tooth was a flighty and nervous spirit. She had quite the reputation for restless movements that made those around her almost dizzy. It was said that she once moved so much that she ruptured the space-time continuum—it was very obviously total bogus, but since when did truth have anything to do with gossip.  People thought that her need to be in constant motion was a result of a nervous nature, rather than just too much pent-up energy. She had the reputation as the most flittering, flighty spirit the world had to offer.

Obviously, those spirits had never seen Mother Nature in a fit of fear over her baby boy.

Seraphina hadn't stopped moving since the boys left to retrieve Jack. She paced back and forth in front of Jack's favored window, sending desperate glances outside as if Jack would arrive at any moment. She wrung her hands nervously or rubbed her arms as if she were cold.   She muttered continuously under her breath, sometimes sounding like she was sending out prayers and others very obviously plotting various vengeances.

Tooth watched her in concern as she hovered over the couch, for once not feeling the need to anxiously flitter about as Sera was moving enough for the both of them. Sera's entire frame was twisted in worry and despair.  She was clearly trying to fight back tears.

The Tooth Fairy felt a twist of her own deep in her heart at the thought. Sera wasn't one to cry, or show worry of any kind for as long as Tooth had known her, and they'd become very close friends. Tooth had to wonder just how bad the situation with Jack really was to put Sera in such a state.

"Sera, please come sit down."  She fluttered over and embraced the other woman’s shoulders.  “At this rate, you’re going to induce a heart attack.”

Sera’s eyes flashed, like she wanted to shrug the fairy off.  But instead, she shook her head and muttered: “We don’t get heart attacks.”

"Still, when I'm the calm one, you need to take a breather."

The other women let out a barking laugh and nodded in agreement.  She allowed Tooth to guided her to the couch and rubbed her forehead as Tooth sat down next to her. They stayed like that in silence for a while, with Sera still tossing a frantic look to the window and trembling to get up and pace again. Tooth placed a hand on Sera's arm in attempt to calm her and squeezed to draw her gaze.

"It'll be okay, Sera. The boys will get him back and Jack can hold his own until they get to him. He's strong."

"I know, he’s always gripping about how capable he is on his own. He hates it when I smother him, especially when he thinks he's so grown up. It just….he's so _little_." Sera broke off and pinched the bridged of her nose with a sobbing breath.

Tooth didn't say anything, just rubbed calming circles on Sera's back as the other woman got herself back under control.  She waved for a passing Yeti, whispered for a cup of hot chocolate.  It didn't take long, after only a few repressed trembles Sera sat back up. No tears had been shed, even if her eyes were a little red around the irises. Tooth made no mention of it, only continued the calming rub.

"I'm all right," Sera said as she rubbed at the ache under her eyelids. "I'm all right."

The Yeti arrived promptly, handing Tooth a steaming cup of hot chocolate.  She offered it to Sera.  The other woman studied the offered cup with a raised brow.

“It’ll help warm you up,” Tooth explained.  “You’re shaking.”

Sera studied the way her hands were indeed trembling and took the mug.  She inhaled some of the rising steam and took a tentative sip.

“This does help,” she hummed.  “Though to be honest, I’d prefer something a bit stronger.”

Tooth pursed her lips.  “Just a moment,” she said.  She zipped out of the room.

She made her way to North’s office.  Tooth expertly sought out the man’s secret stash of Vodka, then fluttered back to Sera and presented the bottle.  The other woman studied the bottle with a small smile.

“Well, well, well,” she laughed.  She held her mug out, and Tooth added a liberal amount of alcohol to the coco.

“North doesn’t indulge often; set’s a bad example for the children.  But he keeps it around for special occasions.  And emergencies.”

Sera hummed and took another sip.  Her breath exploded out of her lungs in shock.  “Oh yeah, that does it,” she gasped.  “None for you?”

“It’s horrible for your teeth.”

Sera chuckled.  Then she looked back to the window.

"Checks and balances," she murmured.  Tooth tilted her head I confusion, so Sera spoke up.  "It’s something I’ve implemented for years.  Seeing to every detail of nature is impossible for one person.  So I made my community of elemental spirits to help me run things, and it has its own structure. I sit at the head, of course, but can’t step in the affairs of elementals too often, or I’ll throw off the balance of the world.  Possible wipe out all life on the planet, if I throw my weight around too much. 

”To subsequently avoid that awful scenario, I cast a bit of spell on myself to prevent me from overstepping because I knew there was going to be a time when I would want to cross that line and just damn the consequences. So I took precautions, set guidelines. I can only step in on elemental disputes for emergencies and for punishments, when appropriate. And as much as this, this situation means to me, and how much it tears at me, it's not enough of an emergency to warrant my intervention. I never thought it would come back to bite me like this.”

Sera drained the last of the Vodka laced coco and set the cup aside.  She rubbed her forehead with a sigh.  Tooth didn’t say anything for a long while.  Sera looked up at the sudden silence and glanced over at Tooth's confused face.

"What?"

"I've never seen you doubt yourself like this. I didn't know you had doubts like this."

"That's flattering," Sera said with a laugh, "but I doubt myself all the time. I'm not perfect, much as I try to convince you lot to the contrary. Ever since I took Jack on, it's been one big doubt parade. I feel like I'm stumbling around in the dark. I don't know if I'm doing anything right or if I'm just making things worse. I’ve never been so terrified in my life."

“I think I can understand that.  Ever since you said you were going to take Jack away from us, I’ve been scared out of my mind.”

All emotion in Sera’s face shut down.  Tooth rushed to keep the conversation going. 

“I know why you feel like you need to take him away.  We made a mess of things, and there’s no excusing that.”  Sera lifted a brow, looking intrigued.  She nodded for Tooth to continue, and the fairy felt something in her chest unclench for the first time in hours.  “We hurt him.  And it’s been making me sick, thinking that I’ll never be able to apologize to him for it.  That I’ll never be able to make it up to him.”

“What if you can’t make it up?”

Tooth thought that over, swallowed thickly.  “Then, if you let me, I’ll keep trying for the rest of our lives.”

Whatever Sera thought of that answer, she kept it to herself.  She looked down at the empty mug, rolling it between her hands.

“Sera, the worst of what happened here today is because of what we did without Jack’s permission.”

“Your point?”

“Don’t make the same mistake we did.  If you… if you really need to take him away from us, ask him what he wants first.”

“He doesn’t always know what’s best for him,” Sera said, eyeing Tooth intently.

“I know.  But you’ll be all he has, without us.  He can’t hate you, when you’re all he has. It’s not healthy.”

Any further conversation was cut off by a violent burst of wind. That had been happening a lot today, Tooth noticed as she fought against the gale of wind. Sera jumped to her feet, undisturbed by the wind and looking happier than she had since learning of Jack's plight.

"Aira, report!"

At that shout, the strangest thing happened. The breeze whirled in on itself and solidified into a human form. Then there was another blast that nearly blew Tooth into the opposite wall. When she managed to right herself and turned back to Sera there was a girl standing before the Nature women. She was transparent and seemed to be made of the wind but she was there, and she had the same dark hair and golden eyes as Sera. Tooth stared wide eyed at the two as the girl spoke, or at least that's what Tooth assumed she was doing as the girl's lips only moved silently. The tall woman listened intently to the girl and whatever she was silently relaying obviously pleased Sera greatly if the sharp smile that filled her face was anything to go on.

"That's wonderful, Aira. Now go lead them to Jack, and stay close to him."

The girl nodded dutifully and vanished with another cold burst of wind. Sera smiled in satisfaction and settled back on the couch.

"Best news I've all day," she declared.

"That, that was you. It was a little girl, but it was you."

"Yes, and I remember making her significantly older. Odd."

"Why was she you?" Tooth pressed excitedly.

"Hmm? Oh, I split my consciousness into the four winds. I can't actually be everywhere at once, you know, so they're my eyes. I charged Aira, the North wind, with watching over Jack.  She’s why I knew what happened today.

“It seems she made her image younger to match him. I wonder if that should concern me," she mused. Then she turned to look earnestly back at Tooth, with amusement shining brightly in her eyes. "Don't tell Jack. He'll never stop pouting if he finds out I created the wind to spy on him."

Tooth laughed and bounced happily on the couch next to Sera.

"Tell me what she said. What did Aira tell you?"

Sera sent her a grin that was almost wicked. "Just that when the others return with my boy, I have proper reason to destroy the one who dared lay a hand on him."  She paused, schooled her features back to regal blankness.  “I’ll think on what you’ve said.”

Tooth nodded, then looked up as the Yetis arrived with refreshments. They offered both women trays of eggnog and cookies, as was customary when North had guests. Tooth took the goblet of eggnog eagerly; it was her one guilty pleasure of sugared products. Sera, on the other hand, stared dubiously at the offerings.

"You have to try North's eggnog. It's divine," Tooth encouraged, gladly taking a sip of her own.

Sera took the goblet with a shrug and sipped. It was quite good, she decided as she took another drink. Then a smile that very much mirrored Jack's lit her face and she slyly slid her eyes over to Tooth.

"I know that's not the only thing of North's you find 'divine'."

The Tooth fairy jerked and gasp in shock, whirling around to look at Sera's grinning face. The other woman broke down laughing, and a splash of eggnog slipped over her drink as her body jerked.

"Oh, your face!" She chortled.

"North and I are not, we don't—"

"Toothiana, everyone already knows about your little 'affair'. You two are not overly subtle."

Tooth gaped at her as Sera gave another laugh and then took another sip of her drink. The fairy frowned, then her face lit up with inspiration. She quickly hid her own smile and watched Sera intently. She timed it perfectly, waiting until Sera took a deep drink before she spoke again.

"So Sera, while we're waiting, why don't you tell me about you and Aster?"

Tooth laughed victoriously as Sera choked and sputtered on her drink.

#

Bunny, North and Sandy wandered aimlessly through the woods near Jack's lake, and Bunny found himself hating those snow globes North insisted on using with a passion. The big man had whispered the destination of Burgess and they'd arrived in Burgess all right. It was just nowhere near the lake, and now they had no idea which way to go. Meanwhile, the rabbit spirit thought bitterly, Jack was out there somewhere at the hands of some psycho elemental who was doing the heavens only knew what to him, desperately needing their help. And they were desperately lost.

"This isn't the right way," Bunny muttered, although he made sure his voice was loud enough that North heard. It may have been a little spiteful, but Bunny couldn't find it in him to care.

Until North whipped around that is, and then Bunny found he cared very much. The man's face was twisted in rage with a hint of terror, and Bunny was forced to remind himself that he wasn't the only one who was worried about Jack. North cared about Jack just as much as Bunny did, maybe even more so.

He left Tooth to calm Sera down, Bunny though wryly, only to get stuck with the male version of a worried parent.

"Then why don't you show us the way," North snarled.

"North, I’m sorry. I’m sorry." Bunny gripped North's huge red-clad shoulder and all the fire drained from North's face. "It's gonna be okay, we'll find him."

He gave the shoulder another pat and turned to sniff the air. If only he could pick up the kid's scent. Bunny sighed when picked up nothing but the crisp sent of pine and ice. Sandy tapped his shoulder and inquired if he was successful.

"Nothin'. Not a thing."

Sandy deflated and North let out a desperate sigh. They were just about to set out for more wandering when they were practically thrown off their feet by a shriek of wind. The three fought the wind but the gale was determined and pushed them in the opposite direction. North's face suddenly lit up and tried to shout to the others over the shrieking wind.

"Enough with your tantrum! We cannot help if we cannot hear one another!" Oddly enough, the wind seemed to listen, and the shrieks died down. Then North turned back to Bunny and Sandy. "Wind want's to lead us to Jack, yes? So we follow."

"Do I look like I speak wind?" The wind picked up again, blasting hard enough to knock Bunny back a step.

"I believe Wind wants us to go this way." North marched past a wind-blown Bunny with Sandy in tow. The rabbit spirit shook his fur back into place and followed, happy for a lead.

The three charged through the trees, with the wind whipping around them in joy as it directed them. Soon enough they broke out of the line of trees, and the lake was right in front of them, frozen solid just as it was when they fought Pitch. There was a collective sigh of relief at having finally found the lake from the three as they glanced around.

Then the silence was broken by a loud, "Jack!" North and Sandy jerked toward the sound of Bunny's angry shout, then followed his line of sight.

In the center of the lake, a large fire spirit was making his way to a gap in the ice. Jack dangled in his grip like a wet noodle, and he looked like he was trying to get his limp arm to beat at the one holding him. There was a pile of ash on the bank not far from the three Guardians, suggesting that this was a partnership that had gone wrong.

The larger spirit looked over at them in surprise as Sandy lassoed Jack and pulled him over to them. North charged off after the fire spirit. Bunny stopped himself from doing the same by pulling Jack into his arms. The boy looked up at him with dazed eyes, lit up briefly by a flash of amusement and then passed out against his chest. Bunny pulled the kid close and tucked him under his chin, giving a growl at the sight of a handful of ugly burns on his chest, but otherwise content in having Jack safe and in his arms. He looked over to Sandy, rage clear in his eyes.

"They drowned him. The bastards drowned him," he said, noticing the feel of damp hair under his chin. Sandy winced and glanced at the sleeping boy. The little man placed a golden finger on Jack's forehead and seconds later a happy dream formed over his head.

When Jack sighed happily and fell into the deep relaxation of sleep, Bunny felt his own tension drain from his shoulders. The kid needed the escape of a good dream. North came back not long after the boy drifted off to dreamland, still clutching his swords as he stalked over.

"He got away."

Bunny nodded, not the least bit surprised. Elementals were slippery little buggers. "We'll deal with that later."

"He has to pay for this," North insisted with a wave at Jack.

"I think you and Sera will find that very agreeable. But we need ta get Frostbite taken care of first."

North sighed but nodded and walked up to Bunny with his arms open as an offer to take Jack. Bunny hesitated for a brief moment before handing the boy over; North needed the comfort of holding Jack more than Bunny did. North cradled him close and frowned in anger when he felt how damp the kid was, obviously coming to the same conclusion Bunny did.

"Later," he reminded.

North nodded reluctantly and fished out a snow globe, still holding Jack close with a one arm. With a swish of swirling lights they were back at the globe room at the Pole. In the other room they could hear the trills of female laughter for Sera and Tooth. There was a bout of silence and then the padding of feet and the flutter of wings. The two women appeared in the doorway and gave simultaneous gasps,

"Sweet Tooth!"

"My baby!"

North found himself relieved of his frosty armful before he could even blink. Tooth fussed over the sleeping boy as Sera carried him into the other room where she could lay him out on the couch. With Jack laid out, Sera went to work on the line-like burn wounds and the damage to his lungs from the multiple drowning's. Once that was done, she sat by his head and ran her fingers through his hair. Tooth perched by the boy’s feet while the males all gathered around.

"Thank you," Sera paused in stroking Jack's hair long enough to look each of them in the eye, "for bringing him back to me."

Sera looked back at Jack's sleeping face for another moment and placed a kiss on his forehead. Then she climbed to her feet.

"I have to go," she said.

"Where?" The question came from Bunny and Sera turned to him with a grin.

"Well, one of Jack's attackers killed the other. That's a very serious offense under my law, and I can't let it go unpunished in good conscious," she said it all very lightly, but also with a sharp, demented grin.

"I want to come with you," North declared.

Sera eyed him critically, seemed to approve of what she saw and nodded. "All right. Punishment isn't really affective without an audience." She nodded again, turned on her heels and then spun back around to look at Bunny.

"Moving him right now could be detrimental to his health.  Aster, can I trust you to sit on Jack until I get back?"

"The Yetis will be movin' 'im up to 'is room in a few. I’ll go up with 'im and babysit."

"No, that’s not what I meant.  I want you to do your best impression of a mother bird, and plant your ass on him until I get back.  He _will_ slip away of you don’t," Sera explained when she only got a mildly disturbed look in reply. "And I want him somewhere safe until I've dealt with this problem so brutally that no one else ever thinks to try it again. So keep him here.  You think you can handle that?"

"Um, yeah.  Yeah, I’ll keep an eye on 'im, I promise."

Sera looked at him dubiously but nodded and walked off with North close in tow. They both vanished in a burst of wind leaving Tooth, Sandy, Bunny and a handful of yetis to get the boy settled in his room upstairs.

X

The two spirits returned nearly an hour later, both perfectly satisfied that the fire spirit called Tyson had suffered appropriately before his demise. And that the message to leave Jack be was also firmly established. Tooth flittered over, making nervous inquiries about how things went.

"Jack?" Sera asked, cutting through the babble.

"Oh, Aster went up to check on him a few seconds ago, he should be down soon if you want to ask him." But Sera was already brushing past the fairy and up the stairs before Tooth had finished speaking.

North and Tooth quickly followed, and Sandy was right behind them. They managed to catch up just as Sera burst into the room and they quickly followed. Inside the room was chilly as per Jack's preference, relatively sparse given North's tendencies. There were two dressers, an adjoining bathroom and closet. Against the wall opposite from the door was a good-sized bed by a window that took up most of the wall it sat on, but Jack was no longer in the bed. The sheets were messed, showing that the boy had lain there, but the boy himself was long gone.

And on the wall next to the closet was Bunny, with his entire torso frozen to keep him pinned. He offered a wince as the came in, and the wince turned fearful around the edges as Sera came to stand in front of him.

"What did I tell you?  The boy’s a slippery one.”   She grinned, obviously finding his predicament very amusing.

Bunny glared.  “Just get me down.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

_2010_

Shortly after the party with his siblings, Sera had taken to giving Jack what he deemed 'his much-needed space'. She'd finally – reluctantly, with great hesitance and only after making him promise that he would be careful– allowed him back into the world. And it had only taken her twenty years to do it, Jack thought with a smirk as he stretched out in the branches over-looking his lake.

Well, more like eighteen years and six months, Jack corrected himself. And ten days, six hours, thirty five minutes—he could practically hear mom scolding him to stop the 'smart-lip', as she liked to put it. Jack smiled fondly at the thought.

He'd spent the last two months on his own, first zipping down south for a light dusting. Then he'd gone up north to Santa's workshop and he'd almost made it inside. He'd gotten a whole leg in the window before the yetis showed up! That was further than he'd ever made it before, and Jack figured it was a sign. He was going to get in there, and he was going to see the workshop, very soon now.

After that, Jack had made his way back to Burgess to check on his town. It was bigger than the last time he'd seen it, and he took great joy in exploring the new area.  He did a quick sweep through the town and over his lake to make sure the growing town hadn't damaged his home in some way, as growing human civilizations were known to do.  Then he went to check on the Bennett family.

He'd been drawn to the family for as long as he could remember, through every generation. Last time he'd been in town, Cassandra Bennett had been starting off in high school. Now, she had a few little ones of her own.  This year's newest additions were Jamie and Sophie Bennett, ages seven and one respectively, and they were without a doubt the cutest pair of kids on the planet.

Sophie had the wildest mop of blonde hair ever seen on a toddler with a pair of happy gem green eyes that took in wonder the way only a young child could. Jamie was the most curious kid Jack had ever seen, perfectly happy to spend all his time outside and trying to discover everything in the natural – and supernatural – world. Jack was happy to spend as much time as he needed to get to know them.

That was how he'd been spending the last few months. Watching Jamie and Sophie and the other kids of Burgess and getting to know them. There were no urgent needs of Winter for him to look after, so he had all the time he wanted to spend with the kids, and maybe even get them to see him. He had no responsibilities to look after, no over-protective mother hanging over him like a shadow, nothing to do.

He was hating every minute of it.

Jack hadn't quite admitted that to himself as he lounged in the trees and watched the kids below play on the ice (he'd made it extra thick when he heard them coming, because something deep inside him clenched in terror at the thought of those kids on ice that was too thin).  He'd worked too hard and waited too long for his freedom to be hating it. But he was noticeably unhappy. He was….kind of bored, if he was totally honest with himself.

It was Summer up in most of the northern hemisphere, and while he and Magec were friends – and Jack wouldn't have minded seeing him again all that much – he didn't want to tempt fate by screwing with the other Seasonal's ‘turf'. So winter-fun-time up north was out of the question, and Winter down south was too warm and snow-deprived for Jack's taste, so that was a no-go, too. It was too soon for another attempt on the North Pole as he and the yetis were in the middle of an unannounced, one-sided truce.

There was always playing with the kids, he supposed. But it was only so long that Jack could delude himself into thinking that he was accomplishing anything before one of them walked through him and his world came crashing down around him.

Jack guessed that was the root of his displeasure with his freedom: he was lonely. Almost three hundred years now, and no one in the human realm had seen him, and nearly everyone in the spirit realm hated his guts, or simply ignored his existence.

Three hundred years, Jack thought again with a heavy sigh. No one had seen him in three hundred years. And it was looking like that would never change.

Jack pulled his knees to his chest at that thought and tried to swallow past the lump that suddenly lodged itself in his throat. This was getting depressing, and it was not at all how he wanted to spend his time. He needed to think of something to do, fast, before there were tears.

Jack scratched his head in thought and almost hesitantly, a suggestion crossed his mind. He could go visit Sera… No! He thought with a fierce headshake. No, no, he'd just gotten out and about, he couldn't go back to his prison already!

But then again, his calmer side reasoned, he was lonely, and it had been a while since he'd spoken to anyone. Maybe just a quick visit.

And from there, a heated internal debate broke out in his mind.

He could stop by really, really fast, grab a bite to eat, maybe spend the night ….

No, no! That's just the Stockholm syndrome talking! She's inside your head, man, convincing you that you want to be locked up. It's the oldest trick in the book.  Don't give in, Jack! _Don't give in_!

It wouldn't be all bad. And he really wanted to talk to someone who would talk back.

He was independent! Independent and happy for some time to himself.

But it was too quiet all by himself.

She would mother him to death!

That was her job.

He didn't wanna.

Yes, he did.

No! No, he didn't.

Yes.

No!

Yes.

NO!

Yes! No! Yes! NO! YES _! Noyesnoyesnoyesnoyesnoyes_! _No_!

Definitely, no!

X

Jack shifted nervously as he stood at the threshold of Mother Nature's domain. He couldn't believe that he'd talked himself into this. It wasn't too late to turn back, he told himself as he eyed the trees. He could turn around and fly away and no one would ever know. Well, Sera would know, because she knew everything. It was not just one of those mom-myths: she really did know. But still, no one would judge him for it. He could just head back to Burgess and play with the kids some more. Yep, that was the plan, he decided as he tried to force himself to turn around.

Except…. the kids had walked through him, already. Even imaginative Jamie Bennett, who believed in almost everything that no one else did, had passed right through Jack like he was nothing more than a puff of cold air. And that was what kept him rooted in place and staring at the trees.

Maybe he was a little shaken up after that, and who could blame him? It was awful to have someone, let alone _several_ someones, pass through you like you weren't there. It tore the breath right out of your body, left you feeling hollow and alone and afraid. So maybe he needed someone to help remind him he was real after that. And there just weren’t that many people who could do that, so this wasn't that pathetic. Was it? No…. a little…..yes, it was, it totally was.

He just had to suck it up and go back.  Really how did he expect anyone to see him if he gave up that easy, he just – why was he moving into the trees? His feet were taking him into the forest without his say-so, the little traitors!

Jack barely took a step into the forest before Sera found him.

"Jack? Are you all right? Is something wrong?"

The feeble resistance left Jack's body as he turned to face her. Sera stood just off to his left, palm placed gently against the base of a rotting oak. She looked at him, confused and mildly concerned as he only continued to stand there and stare back at her.

"No, nothing's wrong," Jack assured quickly, flashing a quick smile and rubbing at the back of his neck. "Nothing has to be wrong for me to stop by."

Sera raised an unimpressed brow and waited for him to go on.

"I just…. I was just hanging out back home, and I figured….this is a very big place all by yourself, so I decided to come check on you." Every word was tested ever so slowly as it fell past Jack's lips. Yeah, that sounded totally natural, Jack thought, scowling at himself.

Sera lifted her other brow and shook her head with a fond smile. She crossed the distance between them and patted the boy's shoulder, and all the tension he'd been carrying since the kids walked through him drained out of Jack's frame.

"That's sweet, honey," she said, pretending just for conversational cooperation that she believed him. "By 'home', I take it you mean that pond your so fond of."

"Lake. And yeah."

"Don't take that tone with me," she scolded with a mock scowl that neither of them bought. "I keep telling you to find a proper home if you're not going to stay with me."

"I think it is a 'proper home'."

"Don't you give me smart-lip."

Jack hid his smile under an annoyed scowl. Sera sighed heavily but didn't bother to hide her own smile. It was so good to have her boy back. After forcing him to stay with her for twenty years, her home was suddenly much too quiet with Jack gone.

"Well, if that's where you insist on staying, I may as well feed you proper before you go. I take it you haven't eaten?" When Jack just shrugged, Sera sighed heavily again and moved off, motioning Jack to come along.

"What have I told you about taking care of my body?"

" _My_ body, you mean."

"No, we've discussed this. I own it until you turn eighteen."

"But I'm _never_ going to be eighteen," Jack sputtered.

Jack's scowl at the distant sing-song reply of "Exactly" wasn't all for show this time, but he still had a happy smile under it. It was good to be home.

After a good meal, Sera managed to convince Jack to settle in for the night. Granted, it hadn't taken much to talk him into it, but Jack put up a good show of complaint. It was a matter of pride.

"You don't need to tuck me in, you know."

"I know," she agreed, "it just brings me joy." Sera settled by his head and fussed over his hair a bit. Jack whined and shoved the hand away, and she gave a laugh.

"Now Jack, I know you don't like to be tied down here—stop with the lip," she chided when Jack muttered "taken prisoner" just loud enough for her to hear. "I know you don't like it, but I do miss having you around. So why let's make a compromise. You still get your free reign, but you stay here every… month."

"Every six," Jack countered, knowing Sera wouldn't agree to it and that he wouldn't have wanted it.

"Every three months," she said with an air of finality.

He could live with that, Jack decided, "Deal."

Sera nodded, happy they found a way to give Jack his 'independence' without cutting him out of her care. She rose slowly, mussing Jack's hair once more as she went.

"Mom?" Jack's voice was quiet and hesitant, but she caught it and turned. Jack chewed his lip in embarrassment, but went on. "I missed you."

Sera's heart melted and made her way back over to the bed to place a kiss on Jack's forehead. "You're always welcome here," she promised. "Get to sleep, Jack."

The boy nodded and rolled over to do so and Sera made her way out of the room with a happy smile. After so many years of stumbling about in the dark in regards to raising Jack, they'd finally settled into a pattern.

#

Sera stood staring out the window as the Guardians freed Bunny from the ice.

The ice covered him from his navel to his throat and was caught painfully in his fur, so it was taking longer than anyone would have preferred to get it off him. She glanced over when Bunny hissed or cried out at the pull of ice on his scruff, but she didn't say anything. She hadn't said a word since coming into the room with her declaration of 'I told you so'.

As the others pried the ice off him – and he was going to have a long conversation with the kid about that, Jack could count on it – Bunny threw rapid glances over where Sera kept her silent vigil. She didn't seem angry, in fact she seemed remarkably calm. But the woman wasn't restricted to explosive tempers when it came to her rage; she could be quiet and stew in her anger just as often. Bunny hadn't figured out which was worse, as of yet.

He hissed as a final harsh yank at his fur broke the ice off and dropped to all fours and shook off the lingering cold with a huff. Then the rabbit spirit straightened up with a sigh and made his way over to Sera.  She acknowledged his presence with only the smallest glance out of the corner of her eye.

"Sera, I am so sorry he slipped out from me. He just…. One minute he was asleep and the next I was frozen ta the wall."

"I told you he's a slippery one,” she said without looking at him.

"Yer being, oddly calm about all this," Bunny noted, giving her an inquiring look.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She sent her own inquiring look as Bunny sputtered.

"Because Jack dropped off the face of the planet?  Maybe?" What happened to the over-protective frenzied mother?

"No he hasn't. I know exactly where he is."

Bunny gapped at her for a moment, working his mouth speechlessly. "And yer just now mentionin' this?"

"Yes."

"Care ta share with everyone else?"

"Not really." Sera still hadn't turned from the window, even when Bunny let out an aggravated groan.

"Why the bloody hell not?!"

Sera finally turned away from the window at that, with her face still completely blank and composed. The others made their way over at the sound of Bunny's yell. She glanced at each of them, then leaned up against the sill of the window.

“Well you see, as Tooth pointed out, I haven’t put any thought into whether or not Jack wants to stay with you, after everything.  This was something of a test.”

Bunny went cold.  No, no, they couldn’t have come this far only to lose Jack after all.  “Sera, ya can’t take this at face value.  The kid was scared and confused, we don’t know what he was thinking—”

 “You’re right.  And that’s why I find myself unsure of what to do next.”

“How much longer do you intend to torment us with this?” North demanded.  “Jack is not a tool for you to hurt us.”

Despite the clear slight, Sera didn’t snap at him.  A small crease formed between her eyebrows and she chewed on the corner of her bottom lip.  Ticks Bunny knew well; something was bugging her.

“The only thing I’ve ever wanted is for Jack to be happy and healthy,” she said, just above a whisper.  “And no matter how much I provide for him, it’s not healthy for Jack to only have me.  I really want to believe that you’ll be good for him.”

The room collectively held its breath when she paused.

“There are some things a boy can’t talk to his mother about, so, Nick,” she turned to North, who jerked in surprise at the use of his real name, “you and I are going to go talk to him.  If he reacts well to you, we’ll bring back here so Aster can look him over.  Then….I’ll talk to him, see if he wants to stay.”

North stared at her, struggling for the right words. “Why me?” He finally said.

Her mouth turned up in a small smile, troubled and sad.  “Because a little boy needs a father. And I think you might be what Jack needs.”

No matter how he felt about Sera, those words made North’s heart swell.  He glanced at his friends, then back to Sera.

"Where do we find him?"

X

Jack wasn't completely sure of what it was that sent him flying out of the workshop when he woke. He just knew that he had the all-consuming need to leave, and he'd followed it. He darted out the window and froze Bunny to the wall as he went without much thought.

Jack headed back to Burgess, with his thoughts as numb as he flew. If he'd been thinking more clearly, he would have realized how stupid and potentially dangerous it was to go back to Burgess so soon after what had happened on the lake. Although he must have thought about it on some level as Wind skirted around the lake while it dropped him at his destination, but nothing made a firm imprint on his mind.

He arrived at the graveyard in little time.

The little cemetery was all that was left of his village. It was hidden in the trees, not far from the lake, just a small cluster of head stones. Many of the children in Burgess knew about it; some of the older kids would go ghost hunting or try and spend the night on a dare, but Jack doubted most of the adults paid it any mind.

 Jack often wondered how long that would last before progress infringed on it, but now he just wandered through the little grey grave stones. He trailed his fingers over the faded names every now and then as he walked. And didn't think.

He was sitting with his knees tucked to his chest in front of a particularly large head stone when North and Sera arrived.  His hood was up, and he was curled in tightly on himself.  North exhaled heavily, and all of the fear and unease in his belly left him at seeing the boy safe.  He shared a look with Sera, and the woman nodded him forward.  She didn’t follow as North strolled over to the boy. 

He sat down silently next to Jack and put a large hand over his small shoulder. Jack leaned into the touch but didn't speak or look away from the grave as they sat together.

"You worried us," North said after a moment of silence.

"Sorry." Came the small and quiet response.

"Why did you leave?"

Jack tried to force his mind to think of a response. It was difficult, and almost painful, to try and think at all. Too much had happened today to think, his mind was too overwhelmed, with the attack on the lake and the onslaught of his memories. It was all too much, why did have to think of why he came here? He didn't really know, he just….

"I needed to see them," he said as the answer came to him. He glanced up at North and blinked the tears out of his eyes as he looked back at the stone.

North followed his gaze, if only to give himself some time to think about what to do next. He'd helped Jack through mourning before, not that long ago with Sandy's supposed 'death', but this seemed much more daunting a task. He needed to tread carefully.

The headstone would have been just above Jack's waist if the boy was standing. It was made of white marble that was long weathered from the long years of exposure to the elements. The only decoration on its surface were the names, written in frilled carvings:

_BENNETT_

Charles Humpfree                      Maryann Katherine

       1698 - 1775                                  1703 - 1783

Beloved Husband                                Loving Wife

North gave a jolt as he recognized the names, particularly that of the woman. The larger spirit peeked over at the smaller, who was still looking at the stone and the names on it with suspiciously shimmering eyes.

"Isn't this…?" he trailed off with a vague motion to the names.

"Yeah." Jack swiped at his eyes, and North pretended not to notice for both of their sakes. The boy cleared his throat to get rid of the slight shake in his voice before he went on. "It was tradition for her to be buried with her husband's family, so it took me a little while to find her. Chris and their parents are buried over that way." He waved off to the left, but kept his eyes forward.

"I would've been okay with it. Well, after I got over the immense weird of someone I considered my brother marrying my baby sister," he amended at North's disbelieving and amused snort. "I'm kinda peeved I never got to have a chat with him about that, actually.  But he would've been good to her, and good for her." Jack spoke with a soft smile as he traced his fingers over his sister's name.

Charlie had done well for himself, Jack noted. He wasn't filthy rich by any means, didn't have enough money for a monument, but he was well off enough that he'd been able to afford a special headstone for himself and his wife. Most people just had to make do with sandstone grave markers.

North let Jack alone to his thoughts and studied the headstone.  "You've been to see your parents?"  He asked after a moment.

Jack nodded absently as he ran his fingers ran his fingers over the names once more. Then he climbed to his feet without a word and made his way to a handful of markers at the far end of the graveyard.  North placed his hand on the top of the headstone, closed his eyes in respect, then followed Jack.

Jack came to a stop in front of three heavily worn little markers arranged in a line. They were weathered down almost to the point that they couldn't be read, but North didn't need to read them to know who they belonged to: Jack's parents and Jack himself.

William and Abigail had both lived good long lives, well into their seventies. It was an impressive feat for the time, North knew. But he paid them little more than a passing glance as he focused in on the headstone on the end of the line. The marker was just a little but larger than the other two; a testament to Jack's final act, North figured.

Nature had been kinder to Jack's headstone than it had been to his parents'. North wondered briefly if that really was Sera's doing as he read the words that were still perfectly clear on the stone's surface. It was simple, but moving nonetheless:

_Jackson William Overland_

_1698-1712_

_Beloved brother and son, and hero to any who needed one._

"I'm not sure what they buried," Jack said as he studied his own headstone. "I'm mean, I'm not sure how the whole spirit thing works, but I'm pretty sure this is my body." He waved half-heartedly down at himself, "And even if it's not, they wouldn't have been able to, to get me out from the lake. Too deep."

North wasn't sure what to say to that, and Jack wasn't expecting a reply. So he just joined the boy in studying the little grave.

"So young," North said in a sigh as he placed a hand on the stone.

"Yeah, smack in the middle of puberty. Forever. Awesome, huh?"," Jack agreed with a small smirk, seemingly undisturbed with his earlier thoughts.

North huffed in laughter at that and Jack sent him an equally amused smile. Then Jack settled down in front of his parents' markers. He let out a heavy and shaky breath as he ran his fingers over the surface of each.

"I must have put them through hell," he muttered, almost to himself.

North sighed heavily and sat down next to the boy again. 'Shaky ground here', he thought. Losing Jack would have destroyed his parents, there was no doubt about that in North's mind. But the boy didn't need to hear that right now.

"I am sure they missed you." He started slowly and drew Jack's gaze. "But I know for a fact that they were very proud of you."

"How can you know that?"

"Because it is not possible that they were not."

Jack smiled tentatively at that. Then he looked at the headstone that belonged to his father, pressing the tips of his fingers into the carved letters of William's name. Reality suddenly came crashing back down on him, and loss smothered him. All the breath was crushed from his lungs and left his body in a shaky exhale. He collapsed against the stone and cuddled against it like it was his father's chest.

"Oh Jack." North placed a comforting hand between Jack's shoulder blades as they shook with sobs, biting his lip against his own wave of sadness.

"Did he think I hated him?" North’s heart clenched.  He shook his head in denial, but Jack went on before North could say anything, "I was so awful to him after Aidan, and then I was sick and I never got that chance to tell him how sorry I was."

North stayed silent and just grasped Jack's thin shoulders, maneuvering him away from the stone. When he guided the boy into his own chest, Jack clung to him like his life depended on it.  North held him and let Jack cry himself out – or at least into a lull – before speaking again.

" _Did_ you hate him?"

Jack jolted back from his hold and looked up at him, horrified. "No, no, I—"

"Then he would have no reason to think so," North continued, and his voice left no room for any doubt.

"But I—"Jack tried anyway, unable to think that his father hadn't believed Jack had hated him in his final months of life.

"You were mourning and hurt; he would understand that."

"You sure?" Jack asked, desperate for the reassurance.

"No doubt."

Jack nodded, in relief and accepting the comfort. He rested his head against the man's broad shoulder, and he basked in the feelings of comfort and love as North wrapped an arm around his shoulders and held him tight. They sat like that for some time until North patted Jack shoulder and stood, pulling the smaller spirit up with him.

"Let us return to the Pole. I wish to have annoying Mother Nature off of my back."

Sera glided to the pair, resting a hand on Jack’ back.   The teenager craned his neck to look at her.  North wrapped a heavy arm over Jack's shoulders and pulled him to his feet.  Sera kept her hand in place, moving with them. 

Jack looked from Sera, to North, and back again.  Some light flashed in his eyes, and a warm smile spread across his face.

"Yeah, I’m ready to go home,” he said.

North and Sera kept Jack sandwiched between them, and traded gazes over the boy’s head.  The big man let a snow globe roll out as him palm and guided the three of them through the portal.

X

Everyone jumped to attention when they stepped through the portal, springing up from their lounging positions all at once with their undivided attention fixed on the winter boy. Jack smiled sheepishly and ducked his head under the intense stares sent his way. But before they could crowd boy Bunny stepped to block them.

"No coddling just yet. I’ve got ta sure he didn't go and hurt himself." Bunny steered the kid away by the shoulders before anyone could voice any complaints.

“Get him settled, then I want to talk to him,” Sera said, trailing behind them. 

Bunny grunted in response, not slowing his pace.  Jack peeked back at her, then ducked his head and chewed at his lip.   He glanced at Bunny.  The rabbit was probably a little upset about the whole being frozen thing.

"Hey, I'm sorry about, um, you know, freezing you to the wall."

Bunny didn't even pause in his stride as he glanced down at the boy. Then he cuffed him hard on the back of the head.

"OW!" Jack sputtered and rubbed the tender area.

"Apology accepted, Frostbite," Bunny said easily as he kept walking.

"Frostbite?!"

"Yeah, yer not the only one who can give out the annoyin' nicknames. And ya certainly gave it ta me, didn't ya?

"Besides, it suits ya."

Jack pouted at that, annoyed that he couldn't really find any argument for that logic. So he just sulked while Bunny laughed and guided him back up to his room. Sera watched them with a small smile and a head shake. 

They made their way to the nearest infirmary.  Bunny told the boy to hop on the bed, which Jack did with no protest, then glanced at Sera.

“Give us a minute,” she said.

Bunny hesitated, but ultimately nodded and walked out.  Whatever happened now, he couldn’t do any more to influence it. 

Sera watched him go, then sat down by Jack.  The teenager looked up at her with a curious tilt of his head.  She smiled gently, running a hand over Jack’s head.  He leaned into the contact with a content smile.

“Been a rough day, hasn’t it?”  She said.

“Yeah,” he whispered.  His face twisted at the unpleasant memories.  Sera shushed him and pulled him to her side.

“I know a lot has happened, but I need to ask you something.  Think you can answer?”  Jack nodded and snuggled into her side.  “I know what happened with the Guardians today.”

Jack glanced up, confused.  Then he rolled his eyes.  “Were you spying on me again?”

“Of course I was.  Focus,” she said when Jack huffed in annoyance.  “I know what happened, and you have every right to be angry about it.  They hurt you.”

Jack nodded, hugging himself.  Sera tilted his chin up.

“It’s perfectly understandable if you don’t want to be around them because of this.”  She paused, let Jack think that over.  “Baby, do you want to stay with them?”

X

Bunny paced outside of the room, forcing down the desire to ease drop.  Whatever happened would happen, he reminded himself.  Whatever happened would happen. 

But why was it taking so long to happen?!

When Sera stepped out of the room, Bunny practically pounced on her.  She stared at him steadily, leaning against the wall.

“Children are fascinating: their emotions are so simple,” she finally said.  “The world around them all black and white, even with teenagers.  Especially with teenagers.  Their love is absolute.  And so is their hatred,” she gave him a meaningful look.  “If you four ever make Jack hate you, I can promise you he’ll be the last enemy you ever have.  But for now, he loves you with all his heart.”

Bunny braced himself against the wall as his went to jelly.  “So he’s staying?” He clarified, shaking with the relief of it all.

“Yes, he wants to stay with you.  And, in light of everything that’s happened today, I’m letting him.”

“Thank you.”

Sera didn’t say anything for a while after that.  Bunny studied the vulnerable set of her shoulders and moved over to her side wrapped an arm around her.  She didn’t shove away, and tension Bunny hadn’t known he was carrying drained out of his shoulders.

“Aster,” she said, her voice just above a whisper, and very fragile.  “Don’t screw this up again.  I can’t take it anymore than he can.”

He held her tighter.  “I promise, Sera.”

X

Jack was kicking his feet off the edge of the bed like a little kid when Bunny stepped back in.  The Easter spirit studied the kid with a fond smile.  Jack grinned back, and the lack of animosity in the kid’s expression made the rabbit’s heart soar.

“All right kid, strip the hood off so I can look you over.”

Jack blinked at him in indignation.  "What, why?  I really feel fine. No one else attacked while I was gone."

"Quit yer whinin' and just do it."

Jack groaned with a pout but did what he was told without further protest. He figured that he was going to have to be on his best behavior for a while, especially after giving them all the scare he did when he bolted. And after freezing Bunny to a wall.

The older spirit nodded in approval and scanned the kid's chest for any signs of trauma.

He was so skinny, Bunny noted with a wince. His body was never really given the chance to fully recover from its brush with starvation and Bunny could see and count every one of the ribs on his narrow chest. His arms were like two brittle twigs and his shoulders stuck out like blades. He was just so….tiny. Bunny couldn't believe he'd never noticed just how small the kid was.

Bunny gave himself a shake and finished his examination. Other than the signs of malnutrition, the kid was in tip-top shape. The rabbit found most of the tension in his shoulders was relieved at that fact.

"So, am I gonna live?"

Bunny snorted. "Don't think ya'll be droppin' off on us any time soon."

Jack chuckled and pulled his sweater back on. Then the boy stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes with a happy sigh. Bunny sat on the bed with him and settled against the wall with his own sigh and closed his eyes as well.

"When yer on yer feet again, I’m gonna start teachin' ya ta manage yer abilities," he muttered, half to himself. "Well, as long as yer mum doesn't kill ya fer poppin' out like that."

Jack tensed and sat up slowly. Feeling the slight shift on the bed, Bunny cracked on eye open to peek at the kid. The boy's face was utterly terrified, with just a hint of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry. She won't literally kill ya, although she may ground ya for the rest of eternity—"

"Not that. The part about teaching me. What do you mean?"

“Sera didn’t tell ya about that?”

Jack shook his head, his expression still terrified.

Ah, Bunny thought as he turned to face the boy. He figured Jack would have some trouble coping with that. He squeezed Jack's far too skinny shoulder and tried to smile reassuringly.

"Well, ya see kid, ya have a very powerful Gift. I’m gonna help ya get a handle on it."

Jack shook his head with his brow furrowed in confusion. He didn't want to get a handle on….whatever it was that he could do. He just wanted to pretend it never existed.

"But I… There's no need to teach me anything," he said, his face alight with hope. "I haven't, I don't have any kind of 'Gift', I haven't for three hundred years."

"Ya didn't have yer memories for three hundred years. That changes everythin', kiddo."

"But I, I don't…"

"Jack, ya can't ignore this. It's a part of ya."

"I don't want it!"

Bunny sighed, squeezing the boy’s shoulder.  "That's very smart, Jack. The power ya have… it's strong, and it's dangerous. Bein' afraid of it is a good first step to handlin' it the way ya should. But ya can't just ignore it."

"I killed a man," Jack whispered.

 Bunny winced.  "It was an accident, Jack."

"That doesn't make him less dead."

"No, no it doesn't," Bunny agreed with a sigh. "But Jack, Jack look at me." He pulled the boy's chin toward him again.

"Yer life was in danger, and ya lashed out with everythin' ya had. That is a natural response, and it does not make you a bad person. Yer not a bad person.

"Now I know yer scared, it's normal. Ya don't want ta risk hurtin' anyone else, I get that. But ya need ta understand, this is not gonna go away just 'cause ya ignore it. All that's gonna do is make it so ya don't know how to control it when it needs ta lash out."

"And I'll hurt someone else," Jack muttered as he filled in the blanks.

"Only if ya don't know how to control it."

Bunny smiled again patted Jack’s shoulder. Jack jolted and took a surprise breath in through his nose as a wave of warmth washed over his mind. Comfort, understanding, Don't worry, kid, I’ll watch over ya.

Jack jerked away, staring at Bunny in confusion.  The giant rabbit looked just as shocked.

"Well, that gives ya a definite answer on whether or not ya still have it."

"You could tell?"

"I an old spirit, kid. And I’m a telepath, I know when someone's doin' a read on me."

"A telepath?" Bunny nodded in response, happy to see the kid more curious and less terrified. "Am I a telepath?"

"No, yer an empath."

"What's the difference?"

"I’ll explain it all later, I promise. Right now I just need ya ta tell me how long ya've been gettin' these flashes."

Jack blew his bangs out of his eyes. "I don't know. I, I think I got something from North when he picked me up from the graveyard, maybe."

"Sounds like this is comin' back faster than we thought," Bunny mused with a hum of interest. Then he frowned in confusion, "Why were ya in a graveyard?"

"I wanted to see my parents."

"Ah." Was all Bunny said.

That small sound of understanding summoned a fresh wave of grief.  Jack folded in on himself, trying to blink the tears out his eyes. He sniffled, much to his horror, and just did the best he could to breathe past the lump of loss lodged in his throat.

"It gets better, Jack," Bunny whispered.

"When?" The question came out with a sob and was nearly unintelligible through the tears. Jack shook his head in embarrassment and wiped at the dribble of snot hanging from his nose. He couldn't believe he was actually crying in front of Bunny. Smooth, Jack, he chastised himself. Way to act mature.

"I can't say. It could be a few months or a few years, that depends on ya. But, one day, ya'll be able ta think of them, and it won't hurt as much. Ya'll be able ta think of the good times and be happy."

The older spirit placed a hand on the younger's shoulder, obviously without much conscious thought, and gently brushed their foreheads in an intimate display of comfort.

Jack wasn't sure what triggered it, mainly because he still had no idea how this whole thing worked. Maybe it had something to do with a subconscious desire to know just what made Bunny such an expert on grief. Maybe it was just the fact that Jack's emotions were in turmoil and left him more open to his 'Gift'. Whatever the reason, as soon as Bunny brushed his shoulder, a whole new wave of emotions and memories came crashing down on him.

Grief and fear and horror, fire bodies smoke everywhere screams _whereweretheyhehad togettothem!_

Bunny broke the connection with a jerk and almost fell of them bed in his haste for distance. Jack stayed frozen in place, watching with guilt and horror –who's was it, his or Bunny's? – swirling in his chest. When Bunny drooped forward and clutched his head and trembled like Jack had not even a few minutes ago, the guilt spewed over into words.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to I don't know what happened I'm sorry" he said in a rush.

Bunny held a hand up and shook his head to stop any further babbling. Jack shut his mouth accordingly and waited. The rabbit took a minute to run his hands over his face before he straightened up. There were no signs of tears, but he was still clearly troubled.

"It's fine," Bunny said, "I should've….. touch is a common trigger for early empaths, I should've known better. It's fine."

"Do you want to talk—"

"No!" Jack jumped at the harsh interruption and Bunny took a breath to soften his tone. "No. One trauma at a time, Frostbite.”  Jack nodded in understanding.  Bunny took another deep breath to steady himself.  "Tell me more about yer graveyard adventure with North," he said.  It wasn't the most subtle of subject changes, but Jack didn't push it.

He shrugged.  "Not much to tell. I checked in my parents and Mary….. oh yeah, she married Charlie."

"Yer sister?"

"Yeah."

"Married one of yer mates? Really?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about it either. Although now that I think about, I think that means Jamie and Sophie are my great niece and nephew, or something. That's awesome!" He decided with an excited bounce.

"I’m sure the 'biters will be thrilled," Bunny agreed.

Jack beamed at the thought and then settled back down with a thoughtful frown.

"What's on yer mind there, Frostbite?"

"Just thinking." Bunny waited while Jack got his thoughts together. "Did you remember me?"

"As a kit?" Jack nodded in response and Bunny let out a huff of laughter. "Yeah, I did. Didn't recognize ya, which is a bit of a blow ta my powers of observation, but I remember ya.

"Bit hard ta forget someone that ballsy, and stupid."

"Hey. It wasn't that bad."

"Ya threw a rock at a wolf so it would chase ya."

"I was _nine_ , it was the best thing I could come up with!" Jack protested with a laugh.

"Doesn't make it less stupid. That being said," he continued over Jack's indignant 'Hey!', "it was brave. And ya did good, kid."

"Thanks," Jack said with a light blush and embarrassed smile. "And thanks for, you know, keeping them from eating me."

"Any time, Frostbite." He smiled and gave the boy a little nudge with his shoulder and then climbed off the bed. When Jack did the same he casually draped an arm around his shoulders. Jack tensed, waiting for another wave of foreign emotions, then relaxed when it didn't happen. Bunny sighed in understanding and patted the kid on the back.

"Don't ya worry, Frostbite. There won't be any more slips from me today. And we'll move that trainin' up to ASAP so the others don't need ta worry. No problem," he assured with another pat.

"That's good. There's been too much brain prodding today."

The comment made Bunny chortle as he led the boy back down to the others.

That happy sound was the first thing the others heard. North and Tooth shared pleased smiles as they moved to meet the two. Tooth broke away from North to zip around Jack.

"Clean bill of health," Bunny declared.

Tooth let out a relieved breath before giving the boy a stern look. "You gave us a heart attack. What do you have to say for yourself, young man?"

"Sorry, Tooth," Jack mumbled.

Bunny had to repress a snort. It was undeniably hilarious to see Jack squirm like any little kid reprimanded by their parent. He'd only seen Jack cowed like that when Sera gave him a proper talking to. Speaking of which….

"Where's Sera?"

"Oh, she and Sandy stepped out for a bit," Tooth answered.

Bunny frowned. "She left?"

"I will need to for a bit," Sera corrected as she came in with Sandy trailing just behind her. "But I'll be back for dinner."

"Dinner again. How delightful" North said, his tone implying just how excited he was with that idea. And here they were hoping those two might manage to be civil.

"Yes. In fact, you can count on seeing a whole lot more of me from now on."

There were a number of different reactions in the room from that. Some were more positive than others, and Jack managed to express it perfectly with a long, sarcastic 'Yaaaaaaay'.

"Don't you give me sass, boy." She gave him a light smack to the head and then promised to be back soon as she twirled around with a swish of fabric.

Things were shaping up for a complex future, no one could deny that. For the first time in centuries, the Guardians had open relations and even a shaky treaty with Mother Nature. There was no telling what that future would be like, but it promised to be interesting at the very least. And fun.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of these characters


End file.
